EGFR mutation status was correlated with neither its frequency nor severity of adverse events during gefitinib treatment including skin rash, diarrhea, liver injury, and interstitial lung disease.
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is an effective targeted therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but also causes adverse drug reactions (ADRs) e.g., skin rash and diarrhea.
EGFR mutation-positive Chinese patients (n = 52) treated with erlotinib were included in our study; the steady-state trough concentrations were assessed; and the occurrence and severity of skin rash and diarrhea after the onset of treatment with erlotinib were recorded.
Adverse events of interest with the largest difference between treatment groups in EGFR > 0 patients (Grade ≥3) were hypomagnesemia (10% versus <1%) and skin rash (6% versus <1%).
After adjusting for performance status, previous platinum-containing chemotherapy and occurrence of skin rash or diarrhea during the first treatment cycle in patients with performance status 0 or 1 (N=139), the absence of EGFR*1 was associated with significantly better survival (hazard ratio: 0.54; 95% confidence interval: 0.32-0.91; P=0.015).
Cetuximab, an inhibitor of the epidermal growth factor receptor that is used widely to treat human cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), has characteristic side effects of skin rash and hypomagnesemia.
Chinese herbal medicine for epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor-induced skin rash in patients with malignancy: An updated meta-analysis of 23 randomized controlled trials.
Development of a skin rash within the first week and the therapeutic effect in afatinib monotherapy for EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Okayama Lung Cancer Study Group experience.
In the case of <i>EGFR</i>-mutant NSCLCs, a pooled analysis of the ARCHER 1009 and ARCHER 1028 trials comparing the efficacy of dacomitinib vs. erlotinib in chemotherapy-pretreated, EGFR TKI-naïve patients showed a trend to a longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival in favor of dacomitinib that did not reach statistical significance, with a higher rate of treatment related adverse events (mainly skin rash, paronychia, and gastrointestinal toxicities).
In this study, we analyzed whether cetuximab-induced skin rash was correlated with distinct polymorphisms within the EGFR gene known to modulate EGFR expression, ligand binding, or signaling activity.
Increased HGF/MET signaling might compensate the inhibitory effect of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors in skin as well as tumor cells, leading to less severe skin rash and decreased efficacy of the anti-tumor therapy, rendering the plasma concentration of HGF a candidate for predictive biomarkers.
Instrumental evaluation sensitively detects subclinical skin changes by the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors and risk factors for severe acneiform eruption.
Interestingly, treatment of cynomolgus monkeys with JNJ-61186372 resulted in no major toxicities, including absence of skin rash observed with other EGFR-directed agents.
Polymorphisms in COX-2 and EGFR may be useful independent molecular markers to predict clinical outcome in patients with mCRC treated with single-agent cetuximab, independent of skin rash toxicity, K-ras mutation, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status.
Regarding EGFR A767_V769dupASV and EGFR Y764_V765insHH, cetuximab and afatinib single treatment did not induce significant inhibition of tumor formation; however, afatinib plus cetuximab combination treatment induced significant (P < 0.05) tumor growth inhibition without significant body weight loss or skin rash.
Reported variability in HER1 tumor expression and response to HER1-targeted agents, a wide range of EGF concentration in healthy women breasts fluid and the skin rash/tumor response relation to HER1-targeted drugs are discussed as possible examples of individual differences in tissue dependency on HER1 interactions with ligands in normal and cancer tissue.