Spotlight Commentary: Navigating the Cutaneous Side Effects of Chemotherapy

    June 2025 in “ British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology ”
    Sanja Brnić, Liborija Lugović‐Mihić
    TLDR Chemotherapy often causes skin and hair issues, but early management can help improve patient care.
    Chemotherapy and targeted therapies, despite their effectiveness in cancer treatment, often lead to cutaneous side effects such as alopecia, rashes, and nail and hair alterations, significantly affecting patients' quality of life. Alopecia affects up to 65% of patients but is usually reversible. Management strategies include prophylactic skin care, dose adjustments, and specific treatments like topical steroids and antibiotics. Targeted therapies can cause distinct reactions, such as acneiform rashes with EGFR inhibitors and hair depigmentation with TKIs. Immune checkpoint inhibitors may result in rashes and pruritus, with vitiligo indicating favorable tumor responses in melanoma patients. Early detection and proactive management of these side effects are essential for optimizing patient care and ensuring adherence to therapy.
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