Appropriate management of cutaneous adverse events maximizes compliance with sorafenib treatment: a single-center experience

Aims: This report describes a positive experience of adverse event (AE) management of a multidisciplinary clinical team and 18 patients with late-stage renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma attending the Day Hospital Unit of the 'Centro Catanese di Oncologia Humanitas' (Italy) over a 2-year period. Methods: The management strategy was based on preventive measures for reducing the development of cutaneous AEs, including pain, risk of infection and patient discomfort, while avoiding the discontinuation or the reduction of the sorafenib dosage. Results: As of July 2011, eight patients were still under treatment with sorafenib; seven patients experienced cutaneous AEs and two reported severe cutaneous AEs. Conclusion: Our treatment approach seemed to reduce the incidence and/or severity of AEs, keeping patients in treatment, which is essential for good treatment outcomes.