Management of cutaneous adverse effects during treatment with ZD1839 in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Surprising efficacy of early local treatment

HER1/EGFR Inhibitor-Associated Rash: Future Directions for Management and Investigation Outcomes from the HER1/EGFR Inhibitor Rash Management Forum

“…Because there are no controlled trials, the efficacy of all the agents is unproven. There are anecdotal reports of treatments, such as topical and systemic antibiotics, topical and systemic corticosteroids, retinoids, and antihistamines [5,20,24,41,[45][46][47], and one preliminary report from an uncontrolled trial of alpha-hydroxy acids with or without gentamicin and betamethasone [48]. While it is encouraging that rash treatment is being investigated, the lack of a control, especially since rash resolves spontaneously in many patients, means the effectiveness of this combination remains unclear and its use in the clinic cannot be recommended at this time.…”

“…For example, benzoyl peroxide should not be used, as this will aggravate dry skin. Alphahydroxy acids have been investigated in patients with grade 1 rash in a clinical trial [48]. Because the trial was uncontrolled, it is unclear whether the improvement noted was a result of the treatment or just the natural course of rash.…”