Mario E. Lacouture, MD, dermatologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses some of the adverse effects of newly approved targeted therapies.  

Therapies that target the immune system can lead to a number of adverse effects, such as fevers and immune-related toxicities affecting various parts of the body. Lacoture emphasizes that timely intervention is crucial for these events so that patients can get the help needed while continuing and getting the full benefit of the treatment. 

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Mario E. Lacouture Discusses Adverse  Effects of Targeted Therapies

Mario E. Lacouture, MD, dermatologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the psychosocial impact of dermatologic adverse events from novel therapies in melanoma.

This impact has been demonstrated in questionnaires from several studies. Lacouture says he has encountered patients who are not willing to go to work because they do not want to disclose that an acneiform rash is from treatment for melanoma. Lacouture has also seen patients who have been unable to sleep because of rash or pruritus.

Finally, he says that both physicians and nurses need to focus on helping their patients live better as well as longer.

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Mario E. Lacouture, MD, discusses the psychosocial impact of dermatologic adverse events from novel therapies in melanoma.

Mario E. Lacouture on the Psychosocial Impact of Dermatologic AEs

Mario E. Lacouture, MD, dermatologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer, discusses how nurses can help prevent and manage skin toxicities associated with melanoma treatment.

Lacouture says nurses play a very important role in preventing and managing adverse events in cancer patients. Because of this, nurses are in the perfect position to play a prophylactic role against dermatologic adverse events associated with melanoma treatment.

For patients on BRAF-inhibitor therapy, nurses should advise patients to use sun protection, Lacouture says. Nurses can also help patients prevent acneiform rashes from MEK inhibitors prophylactically by using topical steroids or oral antibiotics.

Lacouture says it’s important that patients know to contact a clinician as soon as possible whenever they develop an adverse event. This will help minimize the impact on the patient’s quality of life and the need for dose modification of their cancer drugs.

Mario E. Lacouture, MD

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Mario E. Lacouture Discusses Adverse Effects of Targeted Therapies

Mario E. Lacouture on the Psychosocial Impact of Dermatologic AEs

Dr. Lacouture on Preventing and Managing Melanoma Toxicities