Dermatological side effects of current and upcoming targeted therapies in oncology

Abstract

Targeted therapies are gaining field in oncology practice. Some of them are already well established, others are upcoming. They target cancer cells more selectively, therefore causing less collateral damage. Dermatologic side effects are common and sometimes class specific. The skin toxicity profile of EGFR inhibitors, MEK en Raf inhibitors, mTOR inhibitors, VEGF targeting molecules, multikinase inhibitors, the HER2 monoclonal antibody trastuzumab and the CTLA-4 monoclonal antibodies are discussed. When possible, a pathogenic mechanism and treatment options are described.