Prevention and background therapy of skin toxic reactions in children receiving antitumor drug therapy. Part 2 (results of prospective cohort study)

The success of treatment of childhood malignant tumors is related to the improvement of antitumor drug treatment protocols. However, these agents cause toxicity, most often — skin toxic reactions. Prevention and treatment of dermal toxicity are evolving with emergence of new knowledge about the mechanisms of action of antitumor drugs and understanding of the pathogenesis of drug-induced cutaneous reactions. Objective. To prove the efficacy and safety of the use of background therapy and moisturizers in children receiving systemic drug antitumor treatment. Material and methods. A multicenter prospective observational study, which included 60 patients, was implemented in the L.A. Durnova Research Institute of Children’s Oncology and Hematology of the N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology for 3 years (October 2022 — October 2025). Patients were divided into 2 groups: receiving background therapy for skin toxic reactions (the 1st group) and combination of background therapy with moisturizing agents (the 2nd group). Median age was 8 years in the 1st group, 9 years in the 2nd. Gender distribution in the 1st group — 43.5% were boys and 56.5% were girls; in the 2nd group — 54.5% and 45.5%, respectively. Results. Statistically significant differences were not found (p=0.16) when comparing functional indicators of the skin in the 1st and 2nd groups, but there was a tendency to a more pronounced improvement in the dynamics of the indicators (reduction of itching, pain sensation and skin dryness) in the 2nd group. Patients of the 2nd group reported a faster regression of skin toxic reactions and a high level of comfort. Conclusion. Prevention and timely monitoring of skin toxic reactions is an integral part of the comprehensive management of patients receiving antitumor therapy. The use of background therapy and moisturizers depending on the severity, as well as the multidisciplinary interaction of oncologist and dermatologist, allow to control the skin toxicity without the need to interrupt vital antitumor treatment.