Cutaneous Toxicities of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: The Role of the Dermatologist

The advent of immune checkpoint inhibition represents a paradigm shift in the treatment of an increasing number of cancers. However, the incredible therapeutic promise of immunotherapy brings with it the need to understand and manage its diverse array of potential adverse events. The skin is the most common site of immune-related adverse vents (irAEs), which can present with a wide variety of disparate morphologies and severities. These toxicities can endanger patient health and the ability to continue on therapy. This review summarizes our current understanding of the presentation and management of the most common and clinically significant cutaneous irAEs associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Effective management of these cutaneous irAEs requires an understanding of their morphology, their appropriate clinical characterization, and their potential prognostic significance. Their treatment is additionally complicated by the desire to minimize compromise of the patient’s anti-neoplastic regimen and emphasizes the use of non-immunosuppressive interventions whenever possible. However, though cutaneous irAEs represent a challenge to both oncologist and dermatologist alike, they offer a unique glimpse into the mechanisms that underlie not only carcinogenesis, but many primary dermatoses, and may provide clues to the treatment of disease even beyond cancer.