Evaluation of Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity to Antineoplastic Drugs—An Overview

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The clinical practice nowadays encounters the problem of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH). DHT reactions are common with antineoplastic treatments, resulting in worsening patient quality of life. The range of symptoms in DHT reactions can vary from mild, such as self-limiting maculopapular eruptions, to severe, such as Stevens–Johnson Syndrome. In addition to limiting patients’ quality of life, these reactions also lead to economic losses due to withdrawal of affected drugs from the market and high hospitalization costs. Even so, there is no standard in vitro or in vivo method to evaluate the sensitizing potential of drugs in preclinical studies. This review is aimed at giving a comprehensive evaluation of in vitro and in vivo methods to detect DTH and possibly test antineoplastic hypersensitivity reactions caused by different antineoplastic families. ABSTRACT: Nowadays, clinical practice encounters the problem of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) induced by several drugs. Antineoplastic treatments are among the drugs which show an elevated proportion of DHT reactions, leading to the worsening of patients’ quality of life. The range of symptoms in DHT reactions can vary from mild, such as self-limiting maculopapular eruptions, to severe, such as Stevens–Johnson Syndrome. The development of these reactions supposes a negative impact, not only by limiting patients’ quality of life, but also leading to economic loss due to market withdrawal of the affected drugs and high hospitalization costs. However, despite this problem, there are no available standard in vitro or in vivo methods that allow for the evaluation of the sensitizing potential of drugs in the preclinical phase. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the skin reactions caused by the different antineoplastic families, followed by a comprehensive evaluation of the in vitro and in vivo methods used to detect DTHs and that could be suitable to test antineoplastic hypersensitivity reactions.