A Review of Adverse Cutaneous Reactions to Chemotherapeutic Drugs

Abstract Drug reactions resulting from chemotherapy agents are common and frequently affect the skin. Though often benign, a select few of these cutaneous reactions may necessitate immediate changes to the antineoplastic regimens. Given the diversity of chemotherapeutic skin reactions and their complex implications on patient management, an organized conceptual schema is imperative for proper patient care. This review evaluates a number of commonly seen chemotherapy-induced skin toxicities organized by pathogenic mechanism and drug class, providing a framework for the identification and categorization of adverse events to prevent under-recognition. Broadly, groupings of these reactions include: direct cytotoxicity and/or drug accumulation, immunologic hypersensitivity, and aberrant molecular signaling.