Evaluation of cutaneous side-effects associated with chemotherapeutic use in oncological patients

Introduction: Side-effects are frequently encountered in classic chemotherapy. However, the recent development of targeted treatments has resulted in a diminution of these. The most common side-effects are dermatological. Aim: To investigate cutaneous changes occurring in patients using classic and targeted chemotherapeutic agents, and the prevalence of these changes in the two groups. Material and methods: One hundred twenty-eight volunteer oncological patients using chemotherapeutic agents were included in this prospective study. Two subgroups were established, patients using classic and those using targeted chemotherapeutic agents. Results: Xerosis was the most common side-effect, being seen in 93 (72.7%) of the 128 patients. Other common side-effects included alopecia, pruritus, mucositis, skin pigmentation, and palmar-plantar erythema. The most common side-effects in the classic chemotherapeutic group were xerosis seen in 71 (75.5%) patients, pruritus in 50 (53.2%), alopecia in 49 (52.1%), and nail changes in 43 (45.7%). The most common side-effects in the targeted chemotherapeutic group were xerosis seen in 22 (64.7%) patients, nail changes in 17 (50%), alopecia in 15 (44.1%), and pruritus in 13 (38.2%). Conclusions: The most common cutaneous side-effects were less prevalent in the patient group using targeted chemotherapeutic agents than in the classic group. Various side-effects associated with chemotherapeutic use which had not been previously reported were also identified in this study. Classic chemotherapeutic agents caused more serious side-effects requiring discontinuation of treatment than targeted chemotherapeutic agents.