Osimertinib-Associated Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis in a Lung Cancer Patient Harboring an EGFR Mutation-A Case Report and a Review of the Literature

Class I HLA Alleles Are Associated With an Increased Risk of Osimertinib-Induced Hypersensitivity

BACKGROUND

Osimertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), shows superior lung cancer treatment efficacy. However, osimertinib-induced severe hypersensitivity, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS)/toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), is frequently observed in Asian populations and hinders cancer treatment.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the genetic HLA predisposition and immune pathomechanism of osimertinib-induced hypersensitivity.

METHODS

We enrolled 17 patients with osimertinib-induced delayed hypersensitivity (seven with severe SJS/TEN and 10 with mild maculopapular exanthema), 98 osimertinib-tolerant subjects, and 2,123 general population controls. We performed HLA genotyping, drug-induced lymphocyte activation test, and surface plasmon resonance assay.

RESULTS

HLA-B∗51:02 was present in 83.3% of osimertinib-induced SJS/TEN patients but in only 3.3% of the general population controls (P = 2.8 × 10-7; corrected P = 6.9 × 10-6; odds ratio [OR] = 146), and 0% of osimertinib-tolerant controls (P = 6.5 × 10-8; corrected P = 1.6 × 10-6; OR = 707). The association of HLA-B∗51:01 and HLA-A∗24:02 with osimertinib-induced maculopapular exanthema patients, rather than with osimertinib-tolerant subjects (P = .002, OR = 15.7 for HLA-B∗51:01; and P = .003, OR = 9.5 for HLA-A∗24:02), was identified as a phenotype-specific association. Granulysin, the SJS/TEN-specific cytotoxic protein, was significantly higher in plasma of SJS/TEN patients (39.8 ± 4.5 ng/mL; P < .001) and in in vitro lymphocyte activation test (sensitivity = 83.3%; P < .01) compared with tolerant controls. Patients with osimertinib-induced hypersensitivity appeared to tolerate alternative EGFR-TKIs. Surface plasmon resonance results also confirmed that HLA-B∗51:02 protein has a higher binding affinity for osimertinib and lower or no affinity for other EGFR-TKIs.

CONCLUSIONS

HLA-B∗51:02 frequently occurs in Asian populations and is strongly associated with osimertinib-induced SJS/TEN. Our findings suggest HLA-B∗51:02 screening as a preemptive test to reduce osimertinib-induced severe hypersensitivity.

Consensus of the Taiwanese dermatological association and Taiwan Lung Cancer Society on the prevention and management of tyrosine kinase inhibitor-related skin toxicities in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: An updated version incorporating Taiwanese treatment experience

The 2023 consensus from the Taiwanese Dermatological Association (TDA) and Taiwan Lung Cancer Society (TLCS) addresses the management of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-induced skin toxicities in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Providing a comprehensive overview, the consensus reflects recent advances in understanding causes and developmental processes of TKI-related skin toxicities. Aimed at guiding clinicians in Taiwan, the consensus integrates new treatment perspectives while incorporating experiences from local dermatology experts. Recommendations underwent a voting process, achieving consensus when 75% or more of experts agreed, leading to their inclusion. Approved by over 90% of participants, the recommended treatment algorithms for major skin toxicities offer valuable insights for clinicians managing TKI-associated effects in NSCLC patients.

Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors enhance corticosteroid therapy for Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis linked to immune checkpoint inhibitors: a prospective study

Introduction

Immune-related epidermal necrolysis (irEN), including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), represents a potentially lethal reaction to immune checkpoint inhibitors. An optimal treatment strategy remains undefined. This study evaluates the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy with corticosteroids and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) in treating irEN patients.

Methods

In this single-center, prospective, observational study, patients with irEN received either corticosteroid monotherapy or a combination therapy of corticosteroids and TNFi (etanercept for SJS, infliximab for TEN). The primary endpoint was re-epithelization time, with secondary endpoints including corticosteroid exposure, major adverse event incidence, acute mortality rates, and biomarkers indicating disease activity and prognosis. The study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2100051052).

Results

Thirty-two patients were enrolled (21 SJS, 11 TEN); 14 received combination therapy and 18 received corticosteroid monotherapy. IrEN typically occurred after 1 cycle of ICI administration, with a median latency of 16 days. Despite higher SCORTEN scores in the combination group (3 vs. 2, p = 0.008), these patients experienced faster re-epithelization (14 vs. 21 days; p < 0.001), shorter corticosteroid treatment duration (22 vs. 32 days; p = 0.005), and lower prednisone cumulative dose (1177 mg vs. 1594 mg; p = 0.073). Major adverse event rates were similar between groups. Three deaths occurred due to lung infection or disseminated intravascular coagulation, with mortality rates for both groups lower than predicted. Potential risk factors for increased mortality included continuous reduction in lymphocyte subset counts (CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, natural killer cells) and consistent rises in inflammatory markers (serum ferritin, interleukin-6, TNF-α). Re-epithelization time negatively correlated with body mass index and positively correlated with epidermal detachment area and serum levels of interleukin-6 and TNF-α.

Conclusions

Corticosteroids combined with TNFi markedly promote re-epithelization, reduce corticosteroid use, and decrease acute mortality in irEN patients without increasing major adverse events, offering a superior alternative to corticosteroid monotherapy. Inflammatory markers and lymphocyte subsets are valuable for assessing disease activity and prognosis.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: a systematic review

Introduction

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are rare yet life-threatening adverse events associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This systematic review synthesizes the current literature to elucidate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with ICI-related SJS/TEN.

Methods

We conducted a thorough search across databases including Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Scopus, and PubMed. Selection criteria focused on reports of SJS/TEN among cancer patients treated with ICIs, analyzing clinical manifestations, therapeutic interventions, and outcomes.

Results

Our analysis included 47 articles involving 50 patients with ICI-related SJS/TEN. The cohort had a mean age of 63 years, with a slight male predominance (54%). Most patients had melanoma or non-small cell lung cancer. SJS/TEN typically occurred early, with a median onset of 23 days post-ICI initiation. Treatment primarily involved systemic corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulins. The overall mortality rate was 20%, higher for TEN at 32%, with infections and tumor progression as leading causes. Median time from onset to death was 28 days. Survivors experienced a median re-epithelization time of 30 days, positively correlated with the extent of epidermal detachment (rs = 0.639, p = 0.009). Deceased patients exhibited a significantly higher proportion of TEN (90% vs. 48%, p = 0.029) and a larger epidermal detachment area (90% vs. 30% of the body surface area [BSA], p = 0.005) compared to survivors. The combination therapy group showed a higher proportion of TEN compared to corticosteroid monotherapy or non-corticosteroid therapy groups (72% vs. 29% and 50%, p = 0.01), with no significant differences in mortality or re-epithelization time. Dual ICI therapy resulted in a higher TEN rate than single therapy (100% vs. 50%, p = 0.028). Among single ICI therapies, the sintilimab-treated group trended towards a higher TEN rate (75% vs. 40-50%, p = 0.417), a larger detachment area (90% vs. 30-48% of BSA, p = 0.172), and a longer re-epithelization time (44 vs. 14-28 days, p = 0.036) compared to other ICI groups, while mortality rates remained similar.

Conclusion

ICI-related SJS/TEN substantially impacts patient outcomes. Prospective clinical trials are critically needed to further clarify the pathogenesis and optimize therapeutic regimens.

Emerging Insights into Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Induced by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor and Tumor-Targeted Therapy

Objective

Anticancer drugs have revolutionized tumor therapy, with cutaneous toxicities such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) being common immune-related adverse events. The debate over the efficacy of systemic corticosteroids in treating these conditions persists, while tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors show promise. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy involving the TNF-α inhibitor adalimumab for SJS/TEN induced by anticancer drugs.

Methods

A literature review of SJS/TEN cases induced by anticancer drugs from 1992 to 2023 was conducted, alongside an analysis of patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University during the same period. Clinical characteristics, skin healing time, mortality, and adverse events were evaluated in two treatment groups: SJS/TEN patients treated with targeted anticancer therapies and immunotherapies.

Results

Among the 27 patients studied (18 with SJS or SJS-TEN overlapping and 9 with TEN), combination therapy with adalimumab significantly reduced mucocutaneous reepithelization time and healing duration compared to corticosteroid monotherapy. Patients receiving adalimumab combined with corticosteroids had lower actual mortality rates than those on corticosteroid monotherapy. The combination therapy also showed a trend towards reducing standardized mortality rates based on the Score of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (SCORTEN).

Conclusion

The findings suggest that adalimumab in combination with corticosteroids provides significant clinical benefits and is safer than corticosteroids alone for treating SJS/TEN induced by targeted anticancer therapies and immunotherapies. This study contributes valuable insights into potential treatment strategies for severe cutaneous adverse reactions to anticancer drugs, highlighting the importance of exploring alternative therapies such as TNF-α inhibitors in managing these conditions effectively.

Osimertinib-induced Keratitis and Secondary Toxic Epidermal Necrotic Drug Eruption- A Case Report and Literature Review

BACKGROUND

Osimertinib is a third-generation Tyrosine Kinase inhibitor, mainly used in non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR mutation. Its efficacy and safety have been confirmed by clinical practice. Toxic epidermolysis necrotizing disease (TEN) is a severe drug eruption that is rare in clinics and has a high mortality rate. Toxic epidermal necrotic drug rash caused by Osimeritinib is even rarer.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the rare side effects of Osimertinib through a case of toxic Epidermal necrosis.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 63-year-old female patient was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma with brain metastases, and genetic testing revealed an EGFR21 exon mutation. The disease progressed 24 days after the administration of gefitinib, then the patient switched to Osimertinib (80 mg QD) and, resulting in keratitis and secondary systemic toxic epidermolysis necrotizing disease (TEN). Finally, the patient died.

CONCLUSION

Although the clinical use of osimertinib is becoming widespread, the side effects may not be fully understood. Clinicians should pay more attention to the occurrence of the side reaction and deal with it in time.

Osimertinib tolerance in a patient with Stevens Johnson syndrome during osimertinib therapy after treatment with pembrolizumab

BACKGROUND

Osimertinib has emerged as an important tool in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) with certain activating mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). However, Osimertinib may cause adverse effects, including severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). The risk of certain adverse effects may be increased in the setting of recent use of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy, although it is unclear whether recent use of ICI therapy is a risk factor for Osimertinib-induced SJS specifically.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present a patient with EGFR L858R mutation-positive metastatic NSCLC who developed Osimertinib-induced SJS after recent administration of eight cycles of a pembrolizumab-containing chemotherapy regimen. Osimertinib, which was the best treatment targeting his lung cancer, was avoided due to history of SJS. Four years later, because of unresponsiveness or side effects of alternative treatments, he underwent Osimertinib challenge and tolerated it.

CONCLUSION

This case highlights the importance of multi-disciplinary care and supports the hypothesis that the risk of SJS to Osimertinib is significantly higher in the context of recent administration of ICI therapy and, patients may tolerate Osimertinib after certain time has elapsed after the last dose of ICI.

Rapid extraction of osimertinib and its active metabolite in urine by miniaturized centrifugal spin-column extraction using ionic liquid hybrid hierarchical porous adsorbent

Osimertinib (OSIM) is widely used as a mainstream drug for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the lack of a rapid extraction and detection method for OSIM and its metabolite, AZ-5104, has limited clinical drug metabolism and drug resistance research because the drug is unstable. In this study, a new ionic liquid hybrid hierarchical porous material (IL-HHPM) was synthesized with hierarchical porous structures, including micropores (1.6-2.0 nm), mesopores (2.0-50.0 nm), macropores (50.0-148.7 nm), and multiple functional groups via a one-step hydrothermal method using silanized ionic liquids (IL) as functionalized hybrid monomer. The IL-HHPM has the advantages of a high specific surface area (437.4 ± 4.6 m2 g-1), sizable pore volume (0.74 cm3 g-1), and fast mass transfer, additionally, the IL-HHPM adsorbed OSIM and AZ-5104 via π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding. OSIM and AZ-5104 were rapidly extracted and measured in human urine using rapid and miniaturized centrifugal spin-column extraction (MCSCE), which was based on the IL-HHPM. The optimized factors for the extraction recoveries of OSIM and AZ-5104 were adsorbent dosage (8.0 mg), sample volume (0.5 mL), and operation time (9.0 min), and markedly reduced the adsorbent dosage and operation time. The IL-HHPM-MCSCE-HPLC method displayed good linearity (0.02-5.00 μg mL-1, r ≥ 0.9997), satisfying accuracy (spiked recoveries of 87.7%-100.0%), and good precision (RSDs ≤ 7.0%). The developed method is rapid, sensitive, and reproducible for the simultaneous determination of trace level of OSIM and AZ-5104 in human urine.

Acute Onset of a Life-Threatening Skin Toxicity Due to Osimertinib: Severe Psoriasis Versus Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis

Osimertinib is a third-generation irreversible epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently used as first-line systemic therapy for advanced EGFR mutant non-small cell lung cancer. Osimertinib is generally very well tolerated with only a 1% risk of grade 3-4 skin toxicity. Here we present a case of a 68-year-old Asian male with advanced EGFR exon 19 deletion non-small cell lung cancer. After initiation of osimertinib 80 mg daily, he had a rapid worsening of his pre-existing scaly psoriatic plaques with desquamation. Treatment was withheld while psoriasis therapy was administered. He was rechallenged on osimertinib 40 mg daily and within three days developed fever, tachycardia and widespread skin desquamation. There was an initial concern of toxic epidermal necrolysis; however, this was ultimately determined to be a severe flare of psoriasis. This case serves as a reminder that severe and potentially life-threatening complications can occur, and it is imperative to maintain a high level of vigilance for unusual toxicities of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis or psoriasis.

Mechanism of Lethal Skin Toxicities Induced by Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors and Related Treatment Strategies

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors are widely used to treat various types of cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer. Adverse reactions such as skin toxicity, interstitial lung disease, hepatotoxicity, ocular toxicity, hypomagnesemia, stomatitis, and diarrhea may occur during treatment. Because the EGFR signaling pathway is important for maintaining normal physiological skin function. Adverse skin reactions occurred in up to 90% of cancer patients treated with EGFR inhibitors, including common skin toxicities (such as papulopustular exanthemas, paronychia, hair changes) and rare fatal skin toxicities (e.g., Stevens–Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis). This has led to the dose reduction or discontinuation of EGFR inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. Recently, progress has been made about research on the skin toxicity of EGFR inhibitors. Here, we summarize the mechanism of skin toxicity caused by EGFR inhibitors, measures to prevent severe fatal skin toxicity, and provide reference for medical staff how to give care and treatment after adverse skin reactions.

Drug eruptions with novel targeted therapies - immune checkpoint and EGFR inhibitors

Given the increasing use of novel targeted therapies, dermatologists are constantly confronted with novel cutaneous side effects of these agents. A rapid diagnosis and appropriate management of these side effects are crucial to prevent impairment of the patients' quality of life and interruptions of essential cancer treatments. Immune checkpoint and EGFR inhibitors are frequently used targeted therapies for various malignancies and are associated with a distinct spectrum of cutaneous adverse events. Exanthematous drug eruptions represent a particular diagnostic challenge in these patients. Immune checkpoint inhibitors can elicit a plethora of immune-related exanthemas, most commonly maculopapular, lichenoid, and psoriasiform eruptions. Additionally, autoimmune bullous dermatoses and exanthemas associated with connective tissue diseases may arise. In cases of severe, atypical or therapy-resistant presentations an extensive dermatological investigation including a skin biopsy is recommended. Topical and systemic steroids are the mainstay of treatment. Papulopustular eruptions represent the major cutaneous adverse effect of EGFR inhibitor therapy, occurring in up to 90 % of patients within the first two weeks of therapy, depending on the agent. Besides topical antibiotics and steroids, oral tetracyclines are the first choice in systemic treatment and can also be used as prophylaxis.

Diverse landscape of dermatologic toxicities from small-molecule inhibitor cancer therapy

BACKGROUND

Advances in molecular biology and genetics have contributed to breakthrough treatments directed at specific pathways associated with the development of cancer. Small-molecule inhibitors (Nibs) aimed at a variety of cellular pathways have been efficacious; however, they are associated with significant dermatologic toxicities.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive review of dermatologic toxicities associated with Nibs categorized into the following five groups: (a) mitogen-activated protein kinase; (b) growth factor/multi-tyrosine kinase; (c) cell division/DNA repair; (d) signaling associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms; and (e) other signaling pathways. Prospective phase I, II, or III clinical trials, retrospective literature reviews, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and case reviews/reports were included for analysis.

RESULTS

Dermatologic toxicities reviewed were associated with every class of Nibs and ranged from mild to severe or life-threatening adverse skin reactions. Inflammatory reactions manifesting as maculopapular, papulopustular/acneiform, and eczematous lesions were frequent types of dermatologic toxicities seen with Nibs. Squamous cell carcinoma with keratoacanthoma-like features was associated with a subset of Nibs. Substantial overlap in dermatologic toxicities was found between Nibs.

CONCLUSIONS

Dermatologic toxicities from Nibs are diverse and may overlap between classes of Nibs. Recognition of the various types of toxicities from Nibs is critical for patient care in the era of "oncodermatology/dermatopathology."