Skin affecting adverse events of immunotherapies for the treatment of malignancies

Abstract

As the fifth pillar of antitumor treatment, immunotherapies have brought a significant breakthrough in oncology. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have been shown to be the most effective modality among immunotherapies by stimulating the antitumor activity of the patient’s immune system. Monoclonal antibodies such as inhibitors of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), and programmed cell death protein ligand (PD-L1) as immune checkpoint blockers (ICIs) have been approved in many solid tumors. In addition to the introduction of immunotherapies, immunerelated side effects must also be expected. Skin reactions are one of the leading adverse immune-mediated adverse events. Below, we describe the typical immune-mediated adverse reactions affecting the skin during immunotherapy used in oncology.