Advances In Oncodermatology And Cancer Care Offer Hope

When it comes to cancer, the journey from diagnosis to recovery is rarely straightforward. In recent years, however, advances in both cancer treatment and supportive care have begun to reshape patient experiences and outcomes—sometimes in unexpected ways. Nowhere is this more evident than in the emerging field of oncodermatology, which focuses on managing the skin-related side effects of cancer therapies. Meanwhile, the personal stories of patients navigating these complex treatments—like one woman’s battle with stage IV small cell lung cancer—underscore the profound impact that innovative care and expert guidance can have.

At the Maui Derm Hawaii 2026 conference, held in January, Dr. Drew Kuraitis, a board-certified dermatologist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, took to the stage to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of oncodermatology. As he explained in a Q&A with HCPLive, "Oncodermatology is the study of the management of any cutaneous adverse event related to cancer treatment, such as hair, skin, and nails. Most commonly, we're dealing with rashes after patients start chemotherapy or immunotherapy."

These skin reactions are not rare. In fact, Dr. Kuraitis noted that with cancer rates on the rise, "roughly up to half a million patients per year are going to start systemic cancer treatment." Many of these patients will encounter skin issues as a result of their therapies. What’s more, some of the latest cancer treatments can unmask or bring to the forefront chronic skin conditions—psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, or bullous pemphigoid—that might have otherwise remained dormant. Twenty years ago, this wasn’t the case. But now, as Dr. Kuraitis observed, “we're seeing a lot of oncology or cancer patients who now have to live with psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, or bullous pemphigoid.”

Dermatologists, once on the periphery of cancer care, are increasingly at the center of these patients’ journeys. The management of skin side effects, Dr. Kuraitis emphasized, hinges on understanding the patient’s cancer history. “A lot of the rashes that are coming in, if they're cancer-related atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, or bullous pemphigoid, we generally treat them the same way. But you have to have in the back of your head that the patient has a history of cancer. That generally guides us towards avoiding something that completely lowers or depletes the immune system, because we don't want to tank the immune system if you have a cancer history.”

As these rashes become more common, they’re no longer just the domain of specialized cancer centers. “These patients are in everybody's clinic at this point, and we need to become familiar with them. It's not something that any provider should be afraid of,” Dr. Kuraitis told HCPLive. The message was clear: all clinicians—regardless of setting—must be prepared to manage these complex cases.

Despite the growing prevalence of these skin reactions, truly novel treatments remain elusive. “I wouldn't say that we have unique advancements,” Dr. Kuraitis admitted. “We're constantly trying to figure out the best way to manage these patients and safely treat them, while respecting that they have a history of cancer.” Nevertheless, the field is making progress in refining diagnoses and best practices. “We are starting to delineate and better define some of these cancer-related diagnoses that we see, and probably identify the best treatment for these patients.”

Interestingly, recent studies have revealed a surprising silver lining: developing rashes during cancer treatment may actually be a good prognostic sign. “In the last few years, we've had quite a number of studies come out that show that patients who are developing rashes on cancer treatment, this is actually a good prognostic sign; patients do well,” Dr. Kuraitis explained. As a result, the goal is to manage these rashes effectively—allowing patients to stay on life-saving treatments rather than interrupting or discontinuing them.

For cancer patients, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The story of a woman diagnosed with stage IV small cell lung cancer in 2024, as recounted on the MD Anderson Cancer Center’s website, illustrates the critical importance of expert, adaptive care. At just 46, she found herself facing a diagnosis that seemed insurmountable: cancer had spread to her bones, pancreas, adrenal glands, and brain, with more than 40 lesions detected in her brain alone. The disease had left her with a broken pelvis, cracked ribs, and fractured vertebrae. “The cancer was literally eating through my bones,” she recalled.

Her initial experience with local treatment was harrowing. A severe adverse reaction to one of the drugs landed her in a medically induced coma, with a collapsed left lung and fluid in the right. “Once I recovered and the hospital released me, nobody could really explain why that happened,” she wrote. Fearful of continuing treatment locally, she turned to MD Anderson, where she met Dr. Marcelo V. Negrao, a thoracic cancer specialist.

From the outset, Dr. Negrao’s approach was both realistic and hopeful. “During our very first visit, I told him, ‘Look: I don’t want to die.’ He replied, ‘Well, you are very sick, but we will do what we can. I won’t give up if you won’t.’” After reviewing her case, Dr. Negrao identified the likely culprit behind her earlier reaction—a specific immunotherapy drug—and recommended a different course: tarlatamab infusions.

The results were dramatic. After just four doses, scans showed that many of her lesions had shrunk or disappeared. But the battle wasn’t over. Brain lesions multiplied, and she underwent 14 sessions of full-brain radiation therapy. Yet, by August 2025, her scans were almost entirely clear—save for a few spots of dead tissue—and by December, there was no evidence of disease. She continues to receive tarlatamab infusions every other Monday and returns to MD Anderson every three months for scans. While she still relies on pain medication for bone damage, her side effects are relatively mild: low-grade fever, chills, mild headache, fatigue, and some memory loss.

Her message to others is unequivocal: “Go straight to MD Anderson. Do not settle. Even if another hospital system tells you nothing else is possible, don’t accept that unless MD Anderson says it, too. They have options there that are not available anywhere else.”

Both Dr. Kuraitis’s insights and this patient’s journey highlight a central truth of modern cancer care: while the challenges are immense, so too are the possibilities for hope and healing. Whether through the nuanced management of skin side effects or the relentless pursuit of effective therapies, the future for cancer patients is being reshaped—one breakthrough, and one story, at a time.