Acitretin for Preventing BRAF Inhibitor Therapy–Related Complications in Advanced Melanoma

Acitretin may prevent cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and verrucal keratosis, allowing patients to maintain optimal doses and avoid surgery.

Keratotic cutaneous lesions, including squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), are a known complication in patients receiving BRAF inhibitor therapy for metastatic melanoma. When multiple SCCs appear, patients have had to cease therapy or reduce their dosage. An oral chemopreventive agent might improve the patient's quality of life, avoid multiple surgeries, and allow patients to remain on full doses of BRAF inhibitors.

These authors report their experience with open-label use of oral acitretin in eight patients who had developed multiple lesions. To be eligible, patients had to have had more than five surgical excisions of lesions considered to be cutaneous SCC. Among these eight patients, however, only 24 of the excised lesions were actually SCCs…

Reviewing Author

Jeffrey P. Callen, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory board XOMA; Eli Lilly; Celgene

Equity Various trust accounts

Editorial boards JAMA Dermatology; UpToDate

Leadership positions in professional societies Association of Professors of Dermatology (President-Elect)