Cutaneous Reactions to Targeted Therapies in Children with CNS Tumors: A Cross-Sectional Study
February 2019
in “
Pediatric Blood & Cancer
”
TLDR Most children with CNS tumors on targeted therapy had skin reactions, which were generally treatable without stopping the therapy.
In a cross-sectional study involving 22 pediatric patients with CNS tumors undergoing targeted anticancer therapy, 96% experienced skin reactions, with follicular/acneiform eruptions and xerosis being the most common. Hand-foot syndrome was specifically linked to dabrafenib, while alopecia and paronychia were only seen with trametinib. Most skin reactions started within the first few weeks of treatment, and while skin-directed treatment was recommended for 63.6% of patients, with 75% showing improvement, only three patients had to discontinue therapy due to severe reactions. The study suggests that cutaneous side effects are common but manageable, and emphasizes the importance of skin surveillance and management to improve quality of life and maintain therapy continuity. It also indicates that younger patients might be more susceptible to eczematous reactions and less likely to develop cutaneous malignancies than adults. The findings highlight the need for larger studies to explore age-specific reactions and optimal treatment approaches.
