Cutaneous eruptions from ibrutinib overlap with EGFR-induced adverse events

Several cutaneous toxicities arising from ibrutinib therapy are similar to those caused by the use of selective epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, except for petechiae, according to a study.

A team of investigators conducted this study to describe the cutaneous eruptions induced by the use of ibrutinib and underscore the resemblance with EGFR inhibitor-induced dermatologic adverse events. They included a single-centre retrospective cohort of patients who were referred to the Skin Toxicities Program for treatment of cutaneous eruptions while taking ibrutinib.

Nineteen patients with cutaneous eruptions met the eligibility criteria. These toxicities manifested as facial-predominant papulopustular eruptions, petechiae, or ecchymoses, photosensitivity, panniculitis, xerosis, and clinical staphylococcal overgrowth. Notably, the majority of these patients successfully resumed use of ibrutinib with focused treatment of their cutaneous eruptions.

“With the exception of petechiae, the cutaneous toxicities of ibrutinib overlap with those associated with selective EGFR inhibitors,” the investigators said. “We observed that these reactions can be successfully managed using approaches for EGFR inhibitor–induced cutaneous adverse events.”

This study was limited by its single-centre design and the small number of patients who had been referred for toxicity.

“Ibrutinib is an oral inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for several lymphoproliferative disorders and chronic graft-versus-host disease,” according to the investigators.