Advances in ADC-related Cutaneous Adverse Events

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent a new era in cancer therapy, harnessing the precision of antibodies to deliver powerful cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents directly to cancer cells while minimizing collateral damage to normal tissues. Despite their promising efficacy, ADCs have been associated with a spectrum of cutaneous adverse events (cAEs) that present significant challenges to current treatment paradigms. These cAEs account for over one third of all-grade adverse events and more than 15% of grade > 3 adverse events. Several mechanisms for ADC-related cAEs have been proposed, including off-target toxicity due to prematurely deconjugation of linker, direct toxicity from antibody expression in skin tissue, and bystander effects in the vicinity of antigen-positive cells killed by the ADC regardless of antigen status. However, the precise mechanisms, clinical characteristics, and overall impact of ADC-induced cAEs on cancer treatment and patient survival remains to be fully elucidated.

This Research Topic aims to explore the characteristics of ADC-related cAEs, focusing on uncovering both the clinical and pathological features. We seek to gather insights into existing practices and novel presentations of ADC-related cAEs. Key objectives include investigating rare cAEs presentations, refining diagnostic criteria through pathological insights, identifying innovative management techniques emerging by practitioners, and ultimately improving patient quality of life. The discovery and validation of biomarkers, as well as a deeper understanding of the underlying biology of these events, are also central to this field.

To gather further insights across diverse aspects of ADC-related cAEs, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
o Comprehensive case report on ADC-related cAEs, including medical history, clinical presentations, photographic documentation, pathological findings, management strategies and outcomes, etc.
o Examination of specific clinical characteristics of ADC-related cAEs and their impact on treatment outcomes.
o Novel strategies for the management of ADC-related cAEs.
o Pathological characterization and mechanistic studies of ADC-related cAEs
o Innovations in biomarkers for diagnosing and differential diagnosis of ADC-related cAEs.
o The role of dermatoscopy and other advanced optical techniques in the assessment and management of ADC-related cAEs.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: antibody-drug conjugate, adverse event, cancer treatment;, cutaneous reaction, oncology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.