Management of Cutaneous and Extracutaneous Side Effects of Smoothened Inhibitor Therapy for Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma
March 2015
in “
Clinical Cancer Research
”
TLDR The document concludes that side effects from Smoothened inhibitor drugs for skin cancer are reversible and can be managed with a team approach to maintain quality of life.
The document reviewed the management of side effects associated with Smoothened inhibitors (SIs), a drug class used to treat advanced basal cell carcinoma (BCC). It highlighted various side effects, including alopecia, with 15% to 60% of patients experiencing hair loss, hypersensitivity reactions, new-onset squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), gastrointestinal issues, menstrual irregularities, and dysgeusia, affecting 16.7% to 70.6% of patients. Myopathy was also noted, particularly with vismodegib, affecting up to 71% of patients. Elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels and hepatotoxicity were reported, with up to 29% of patients on sonidegib experiencing CK elevation. Weight loss was another side effect, with a median onset of 175 days after starting vismodegib. The document stressed the reversibility of these side effects upon drug discontinuation and the lack of correlation between side effects and drug response. It also emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary care to manage these side effects and maintain patient quality of life and treatment adherence. Specific numbers of participants in the referenced studies were not provided, but phase 1 and 2 clinical trials and a 30-month international study were mentioned. The document acknowledged financial support from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation for editorial assistance.
