Adverse Hair Reactions to New Targeted Therapies for Cancer.

The advent of immune targeted therapies for cancer has radically changed the treatment and prognosis of many cancers. These drugs are called targeted therapies because they target specific pathophysiological mechanisms of cancer. This paradigm shift in cancer treatment, however, has resulted in new adverse dermatologic effects involving both the skin and its appendages. In the case of hair, targeted drugs can cause immune alterations and changes in hair growth, color, and shape. Because most targeted therapies are new, there is no single document describing all these adverse effects. We performed an exhaustive review of the literature to characterize adverse hair effects associated with the use of targeted therapies.