Cara Norelli, MS, AGNP-C, on Managing Dermatologic Side Effects in Patients With Cancer

Hi everyone, my name is Cara Norelli. I am a nurse practitioner specializing in oncodermatology. I recently had the pleasure of presenting on November 16th with my colleague Purvi Desai at JADPRO Live 2024 in Grapevine, Texas. Our presentation focused on dermatologic conditions in oncology care. The skin, hair, and nails and internal malignancies are manifested in various ways and in all phases of patients experience with cancer. All cancer treatments are associated with cutaneous adverse events, this is why having a basic knowledge of oncodermatology is so important in oncology. We discussed skin adverse events such as exanthematous, lichenoid, eczematous, and acneiform drug eruptions. Did you know that there is a generally good correlation between developing an acneiform (acne-like) drug rash and positive treatment response when taking an EGFR inhibitor medication? Meaning that the appearance of the rash is often seen as a positive sign indicating the drug is effectively targeting the cancer. In our talk, we also discussed adverse events seen with the nails and hair. Lastly, we discussed dermatologic emergencies which all oncology clinicians should learn to recognize, assess, and treat. Some dermatologic emergencies are life threatening if not addressed in real time. When treating patients its important to provide hand-written instructions on safe topical and oral therapy use. Explain to your patient that your optimal goal is to better patients' physical function and quality of life, and to avoid dose reductions or discontinuation of cancer treatment.