Oncodermatology Emerges As Key In Cancer Patient Care

For patients undergoing cancer treatment, the battle doesn’t always end with the tumor. Increasingly, skin-related side effects—rashes, lesions, and chronic conditions like psoriasis—are emerging as a new front in the fight, demanding attention not just from oncologists but from dermatologists as well. This growing intersection of cancer care and dermatology, known as oncodermatology, is reshaping how doctors manage the complex, often lifelong consequences of life-saving therapies.

At the recent Maui Derm Hawaii 2026 conference, Drew Kuraitis, MD, PhD, a board-certified dermatologist at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, took center stage to discuss the evolving landscape of oncodermatology. In his session, aptly titled ‘Oncodermatology in 2026,’ Kuraitis emphasized that the field is more critical than ever. "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," Kuraitis explained in an interview with HCPLive.

The numbers back him up. As of 2026, approximately half a million patients each year begin systemic cancer treatment. Many of these newer treatments, especially immunotherapies and targeted drugs, can unmask or exacerbate chronic skin disorders previously dormant in patients. Conditions like psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and bullous pemphigoid—once relatively rare among cancer patients—are now seen with increasing frequency.

Kuraitis highlighted a crucial shift: these patients are no longer only the purview of specialized cancer centers. "A lot of community hospitals and community oncologists are using these medications. Previously, these patients may have been funneled to a dermatology clinic at a cancer center or at a hospital. That's not the case anymore. These patients are in everybody's clinic at this point, and we need to become familiar with them," he said. The implication is clear—every dermatologist, not just those at major cancer centers, must be equipped to handle the dermatological fallout from cancer therapies.

Managing these side effects requires a careful balancing act. Kuraitis stressed the importance of knowing a patient’s cancer history to avoid treatments that could compromise the immune system. "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," he told HCPLive.

Despite the growing prevalence of these skin conditions, Kuraitis was quick to point out that the core treatments haven’t changed dramatically. "We still treat the patients as if they had the same diagnosis, but it just wasn't cancer-related. There are just a few more nuances involved in having patients who have this history," he said. The focus, then, is on personalization and caution—tailoring interventions to support ongoing cancer care without jeopardizing the patient’s overall prognosis.

Perhaps the most surprising development in recent years is the realization that these skin reactions may actually be a good sign. Kuraitis noted, "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." In other words, the very side effects that trouble patients and clinicians alike may indicate that the immune system is responding robustly—not just to the skin, but to the cancer itself.

For patients, the stakes are high, and the hope is real. One such patient, whose story was recently shared by MD Anderson Cancer Center, exemplifies both the challenges and breakthroughs of modern cancer care. Diagnosed with stage IV small cell lung cancer in the fall of 2024, this individual faced a harrowing prognosis. The cancer had spread to her collar bones, shoulder blades, femur, pancreas, adrenal glands, and brain—over 40 lesions in total. Initial treatment near her home led to a severe adverse reaction, including a medically induced coma and collapsed lung. Desperate for answers, she turned to MD Anderson, where she met Dr. Marcelo V. Negrao, a thoracic cancer specialist.

After careful review, Dr. Negrao determined that her previous reaction was likely due to a particular immunotherapy drug, which was then avoided. Instead, she began infusions of tarlatamab, a newer immunotherapy agent, in March 2025. The results were remarkable: after just four doses, scans showed that many lesions had shrunk or disappeared. However, the journey was far from over, as new brain lesions appeared, eventually numbering over 40. Full-brain radiation therapy—14 sessions over three weeks—was required before she could resume tarlatamab. By August 2025, most scans were clear except for a few spots of dead tissue, and by December, there was no evidence of disease.

The patient’s ongoing regimen includes tarlatamab infusions every other Monday with a local oncologist, coordinated with MD Anderson. She continues to deal with pain and some lingering side effects—low-grade fever, chills, mild headache, fatigue, memory loss—but credits her survival and quality of life to the expertise and resources at MD Anderson. "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," she urged.

Stories like hers underscore the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, where oncologists and dermatologists work hand in hand to ensure that patients can continue life-saving treatments without being derailed by manageable side effects. Kuraitis echoed this sentiment: "We want to keep patients on their cancer treatment. We can handle these rashes. We can take care of the skin side effects so that patients don't have to stop cancer treatment." He added, "The whole premise of my talk was that these rashes are out there. We should never be afraid of these rashes. We can manage them."

Looking ahead, Kuraitis and his colleagues are optimistic. While there may not be radically new treatments on the horizon, the field is constantly refining its understanding and strategies. As Kuraitis put it, "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." The ultimate goal remains unchanged: to ensure that patients can continue their fight against cancer with as few interruptions as possible, supported by a team that understands both the science and the lived experience of those in their care.

For cancer patients and their families, the message is one of resilience and hope—backed by a medical community that’s learning, adapting, and, above all, refusing to give up.