Xerosis (Dry Skin) Associated with Targeted Therapy

Dry skin (xerosis) is a potential complication of therapy with targeted cancer therapies.

Targeted therapies associated with an increase in xerosis are inhibitors of:

(1) epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)

(2) vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)

(3) mitogen-activated extracellular kinase (MEK)

(4) mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)

(5) Bcr-Abl

Mechanisms of xerosis:

(1) impaired function of sebaceous glands

(2) thinning and other alterations of the epidermis with transepidermal water loss

NCI Common Toxicity Criteria from version 4

Percent BSA	Symptoms	ADL Affected	Grade
0	none	no	0
< 10%	neither pruritis nor erythema	no	1
10-30%	erythema or pruritis	yes	2
> 30%	pruritis	yes	3

Patient distress is an additional factor which needs to be considered.

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