Emily Skotte, MSN on Rash Management in Patients Treated With EGFR TKIs

Emily Skotte, MSN, assistant in medicine, Nursing School, Division of Hematology Oncology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses common ways to manage the rashes that may occur as adverse effects (AEs) in patients treated with EGFR TKIs.

Telling patients up front that they may experience rash as an AE of their TKI treatment allows them to proactively begin to use topical steroid creams, Skotte says. Immediate use of a cream can help lessen the severity of the rash or stop the progression at grade 3, Skotte explains. While topical creams are usually recommended, patients should communicate their use of these creams with their treating physicians, Skotte notes.

If the rash occurs on the face, an antibiotic gel or ointment like clindamycin may be effective, especially as facial rashes can be more distressing, Skotte says. The standards of care for these rashes are shifting more toward antibiotic topical creams, rather than pills, Skotte notes. Because the TKIs patients are taking will hopefully have long-term efficacy, AEs may occur for the duration of their treatment. As such, one main goal of rash management is to spare patients exposure to oral antibiotics, Skotte concludes.

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