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Effects of Sex and Seasonal Climatic Changes on the Risk of Incidence of Anti-EGFR Therapy-Induced Rash in Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study
oleh: Takahiro Arai, Yukiyoshi Fujita, Hisao Imai, Hiroe Matsumoto, Miho Yamazaki, Eriko Hiruta, Yuka Suzuki, Hitoshi Ojima, Hisashi Hosaka, Koichi Minato, Taeko Saito
| Format: | Article |
|---|---|
| Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2021-08-01 |
Deskripsi
<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Seasonal climatic changes may affect the development of the rash that is characteristic of treatment with anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies. We evaluated the association between seasons and rash incidence among patients with cancer. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: Data from patients with colorectal or head and neck cancer treated with cetuximab or panitumumab during summer (S group; <i>n</i> = 34) or winter (W group; <i>n</i> = 37) between June 2014 and February 2019 were collected to retrospectively examine patient characteristics and rash incidence ≤ 8 weeks after treatment initiation. <i>Results:</i> Rashes were observed in 73.5% (<i>n</i> = 25) and 78.4% (<i>n</i> = 29) and grade 3 rashes were observed in 17.6% (<i>n</i> = 6) and 2.7% (<i>n</i> = 1) of the patients in the S and W groups, respectively. The incidence of grade ≥ 2 rashes in males in the S group was higher than that in the rest of the patient groups (<i>p</i> < 0.01). <i>Conclusions:</i> The higher incidence of skin rashes in males during summer might be attributed to the effects of ultraviolet light, lack of skincare, male hormones, and secretion of anti-EGFR antibodies in sweat. These findings highlight the need for research on preventive measures for such rashes.