Skin rash signifies improved survival rate in cancer, say researchers

The study reports that for patients taking Tarceva who developed a moderate to severe rash, survival without progression of disease was 245% longer than in patients who had a mild rash or none at all. In fact, in the majority of cases, the more severe the rash, the longer a patient’s cancer was held in check, researchers found.

Lead author Bret Wacker, MS director of biostatistics at OSI Pharmaceuticals, said: “Some patients are stopping treatment because of the rash, yet those are the ones who are most likely to benefit.”

According to the researchers, the rashes can be controlled with mild steroids or antibiotics, and in most cases, they will improve with treatment. The scientists believe the rashes are due to an inflammatory response as a result of EGFR inhibition in skin tissue.