Oncology Atlas

The use of antineoplastic drugs in oncology is associated with a wide range of possible skin toxicities, from benign manifestations to potentially life-threatening forms. Chemotherapy agents can cause well-known skin side effects, the frequency of which is expected to increase with the introduction of new molecules. Furthermore, targeted therapies and immunotherapies with monoclonal antibodies, which have revolutionised the landscape of cancer treatment, are giving rise to new skin reactions that need to be recognised and treated. Skin toxicities may persist for a long time and require specific management because it’s generally not possible to discontinue or replace a life-saving cancer treatment.

Regarding less characterised skin toxicities, a careful clinical evaluation is needed to determine the likelihood that a suspected drug is responsible for the observed clinical scenario. The Naranjo scale is used in practice to assess the probability of causality associated with the use of a drug.

Acknowledgements

The Oncology Atlas was drafted by:

Dr Alvise Sernicola, specialist in dermatology and venereology, graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Padua and specialised with honours at the Sapienza University of Rome. He currently works as a fixed-term researcher at the Department of Medicine of the University of Padua, in collaboration with technicians from the Dermatology Clinic Laboratory of the University of Padua, Anna Michelotto and Andrea Saponeri, and with Prof. Mauro Alaibac.

With the support of Associazione Piccoli Punti Onlus [Piccoli Punti Non-Profit Association], which since 2006 has been committed to making melanoma increasingly treatable and supports prevention and awareness projects in the Veneto region.