Patients undergoing oncology treatments often experience a number of side-effects, with up to 60% of patients experiencing skin toxicities from these treatments. Such skin toxicities may range from alopecia to photosensitivity and xerosis. Experiencing these side effects may exacerbate the burden of oncology treatments for the patients, and there are currently no set guidelines for appropriate management of these treatment side effects.
In order to identify key patient needs, each stage of the patient oncology treatment journey must be taken into account, including the advice of the oncologists and dermatologists, as well as oncology nurses who are often the most frequent point of contact for the patient. Limited numbers and access to dermatologists in New Zealand often means that treatments are ceased due to severity of their side effects. To address these patient needs, taking quality of life into account, experts emphasise the relevance of patient education around skincare, including the stage of treatment, and healthcare professional responsible for delivery of this knowledge. A panel of key healthcare professionals, comprising dermatologists, oncologists, and an oncology nurse, developed a consensus for effective management of these common skin conditions.
This consensus sets forth specialised recommendations for both preventative measures as well as reactive measures for appropriate care of skin conditions such as radiation dermatitis (both acute and chronic), alopecia (from hormonal therapy and/or chemotherapy), xerosis/pruritus, maculopapular rash, acneiform rash, photosensitivity, pigmentation changes, and inflammatory and hyperkeratotic hand-foot syndrome.
These guidelines, among other suggestions, recommend the use of a sunscreen with UV-broad spectrum UVA/UVB filters was emphasised for proactive prevention of side effects for all treatments. The roles of pH-balanced moisturisers and cleansers, along with skin barrier restoring creams formulated with microbiome rebalancing ingredients (panthenol) were also highlighted.
This will form an educational document for healthcare professionals all across the field, including experienced specialists, as well as pharmacists and registrars training in oncology.