Photo Credit: Todorean
The following is a summary of “Clinical and pathological characterization of tebentafusp-associated skin toxicity: A cohort study with 33 patients,” published in the December 2024 issue of Dermatology by Tomsitz et al.
Tebentafusp, an emerging treatment option for individuals with metastatic uveal melanoma and is related to cutaneous side effects.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to characterize the heterogeneous cutaneous side effects associated with tebetafusp treatment.
They evaluated all patients with metastatic uveal melanoma treated with at least 1 dose of tebentafusp at LMU University Hospital between January 2019 and June 2023. Clinical data collected at baseline included demographics, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, lactate dehydrogenase levels, metastasis sites, and prior tumor treatments. Skin biopsies were also assessed histologically.
The results showed 33 patients were analyzed, with 78.8% exhibiting skin toxicity. The skin reactions were classified into 5 categories: symmetrical erythematous patches (83.8%), hemorrhagic macules (11.8%), urticarial lesions (7.4%), bullous lesions (1.5%), and depigmentation of skin (8.5%) and hair (11.4%). Histologically, the skin reactions were described by focal lymphocytic interface dermatitis and epidermal infiltration of CD8-positive lymphocytes. Patients with skin reactions had significantly longer median overall survival (34 months) compared to those without cutaneous events (4 months, P < .001).
Investigators concluded the tebentafusp frequently induces cutaneous reactions likely mediated by tebentafusp binding to stimulate melanocytes, triggering lymphocyte infiltration and activation. Notably, the development of treatment-induced skin reactions might be associated with improved survival outcomes.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962224027415
