2016 Volume 126 Issue 13 Pages 2419-2425
Molecular targeting agents are widely used to treat various inflammatory and immune diseases and tumors. Unlike the adverse reactions induced by conventional drugs, these drugs induce various new types of adverse reactions. Anti-PD-1 antibody has clearly induced survival benefits in patients with metastatic melanoma. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors sometimes induce various kinds of immune-related adverse events (irAE). It is very important for clinicians to know the prevalence, clinical types, and severity of irAE in these drugs.
We analyzed the clinical characteristics of the adverse cutaneous effects of anti-PD-1 antibody in melanoma patients. The 7 patients studied were referred to Yokohama City University Hospital between October of 2014 and March of 2016. Vitiligo, cutaneous pruritus, lichenoid eruptions, psoriasiform eruptions, and bullae on the extremities were observed. All of these patients were able to be managed without discontinuation of the drug.
Larger clinical studies of this drug would help to predict and manage the characteristics of cutaneous adverse reactions. Dermatologists should be careful to detect and treat irAE induced by the newly developed immune checkpoint inhibitors.
