Lung Cancer Skin Rash: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments in 2024

Unexpected skin complaints can sometimes be a sign of lung cancer, but they are often missed as an early warning sign. Lung cancer usually doesn’t show any symptoms until it’s far along, but some types can cause skin problems. Some of the cancer treatments are immunotherapy, radiation, and chemotherapy. A lot of people have reported different skin reactions, like rashes and itching, with symptoms that range from being mildly uncomfortable to needing immediate medical help. This article talks about lung cancer skin rash treatments, including skin warning signs and how the disease itself affects the skin.

Causes of Rashes With Lung Cancer Treatment

Treatments for lung cancer can have several effects on the skin. Skin symptoms can be a sign of lung cancer. There are very few cases where lung cancer can spread to the skin. Talk to your oncologist about any new or changing skin problems. The rash can be caused by several conditions linked to lung cancer.

Rashes From Radiation Therapy

Radiodermatitis is a skin condition that affects up to 95% of people who get radiation treatment. Radiation can cause swelling at the treatment spot because it affects skin tissue and the skin barrier.

Radiation dermatitis is most often caused by a tightening of the skin’s blood vessels. It usually heals after a few days of treatment and shows up within 24 hours. If radiation hurts hair follicles and lower layers of the dermis, the effects could be worse and last longer. Higher amounts of radiation damage the skin more deeply, which can cause reactions weeks or months after treatment.

Chronic radiation dermatitis is a rare disease that occurs when the skin doesn’t heal properly after treatment. It can happen months or even years later. Crevices in the skin can make severe reactions more likely because they hold water that radiation can absorb more easily.

Rashes From Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapy

As a result of better-targeted treatment chemotherapy drugs, almost 90% of people with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have very dry skin.

When you get targeted therapy, you may be more likely to get a rash in your hair follicles that look like acne and are itchy, painful, and contagious. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors can make the skin swell and become red. In about 8 to 12 percent of cases, the severity is severe.

If radiation therapy is given before regular chemotherapy or targeted treatment medicines, radiation recall can happen. This can look like radiation dermatitis. In about 9% of cases, radiation recall happens, which can lead to skin reactions that range from mild to serious.

Immunotherapy and Skin Rashes

Immunotherapy works because it teaches the immune system to find cancer cells and kill them. The immune system may attack healthy cells when these drugs are taken. Most of the time, skin side effects show up as spots and itching. You may also lose your hair and get sores in your mouth.

Lung Cancer Symptoms Appearing on the Skin

Lung cancer can cause several syndromes, and some of them show up on the face in a lot of different ways. The following are some of the most common skin symptoms and signs of lung cancer:

Yellow Skin

Jaundice may be caused by lung cancer that has spread to the liver or pancreas. Jaundice is characterized by yellowing of the skin or eye whites. It develops when bilirubin levels in the blood become very high.

Bilirubin, a yellow or orange pigment, is produced naturally during hemoglobin oxidation. Abnormally high bilirubin levels may be caused by lung cancer that has spread to the liver, pancreas, or bile ducts.

Itchy Skin

Itchy skin is another sign of liver tumors in the lungs. When your liver is sick, bile salts can build up and make you itch.

Lumps on Skin

Skin tumors are sometimes found in people with lung cancer. Nodules are hard, round bumps that look like skin. They could be cancerous growths close to the skin’s surface. These growths are normally harmless, but sometimes they can cause ulcers. Most of the time, skin metastases show up on the head, neck, chest, and belly.

Easy Bruising

Cushing’s syndrome, a paraneoplastic syndrome, often happens to people with small-cell lung cancer. The cortisol-inducing hormone adrenocorticotropic hormone is overproduced in some cancers. When levels are too high, skin problems like redness, swelling, and bruises show up, along with purple stretch marks that are easy to see and a face that gets hurt easily.

Radiation Dermatitis

The symptoms of radiation dermatitis often show up in the same body part that had radiation treatment. The following signs and symptoms are mild to moderate:

• A change in color or redness
• Skin peeling or dry shedding
• Wet peeling in creases of the skin
• Skin that is tight, heated, or dry

The signs are getting worse when there are thick sores, blood that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, and skin that peels off outside of folds when it’s wet. Get medical help right away if you notice any of these signs.

The signs of radiation dermatitis and radiation memory might be the same. If you ever have the following:

• Getting worse pain
• Swelling
• Flare-ups of inflammation.
• scars or open cuts

Changes to Facial Sweating

Pancoast tumors arise on the top part of the lung and can put stress on the brachial plexus, a group of nerves that connect the upper chest to the arms and neck. This could lead to Horner syndrome, which is marked by dry, red cheeks on only one side of the face.

Heliotrope Rash

Heliotrope rash, which looks like a reddish-purple rash around the eyes, is caused by dermatomyositis, which is an inflammation of the muscles. Recent research suggests that dermatomyositis may be linked to several cancers, including lung cancer.

Taking Care of Skin Problems During Lung Cancer Treatment

Taking care of your skin is an important part of both avoiding and treating lung cancer. Several types of treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, and tailored treatments, can leave skin rashes. Talk to a doctor if you don’t know what to do, especially if the skin is broken or bleeding. Some cancer medicines can cause rashes on the skin, which can be treated with corticosteroids that are taken by mouth or put on the skin.

General Skin Care Tips:

• Clean the areas that are hurt with warm water, light soap, and absorbent cloths.
• Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.
• If you have dry skin, use the creams that are suggested.
• Protect the skin from temperatures that are too high.
• Stay out of the sun as much as possible, and if you have to, use sunscreen that your doctor tells you to.
• Wear loose, flexible clothes to make yourself less sensitive.
• If an illness happens, take the medicine exactly as directed and go to the emergency room immediately.

Skin Reactions to Specific Treatments:

Radiation Therapy: It could make your skin red and hurt like a sunburn.

Chemotherapy: Lowers the number of platelets in the blood, which may make it easier to bruise or bleed.

Immunotherapy: About ten percent of people who take drugs like Keytruda or Opdivo may get dry skin, itching, or acne.

Targeted Therapies: Some people who take Tarceva, Iressa, or Giotrif may get dry skin, spots that look like acne, or blisters. Some, like Xalkori and Vargatef, may cause itching that won’t go away and small red or purple spots.

Finding these signs early and sticking to a treatment plan can help you avoid problems and improve your health as a whole.

Conclusion

Lung cancer patients must have skin problems taken care of as part of their total treatment. Some of the skin problems that come with the disease and its treatments, such as tailored therapies, immunotherapy, radiation, chemotherapy, and radium, are rashes, dryness, itching, and redness. Know about these signs and treat them as soon as possible to feel a lot better and reduce the effects as much as possible.

You need to talk to your healthcare team often to spot and treat skin problems. Patients can feel less pain and have a better quality of life if they stick to their treatment plans, take their prescription drugs as directed, and take care of their skin. Getting skin problems checked out early and treating them properly can help make sure they don’t get worse during cancer treatment.

FAQs:

What does a lung cancer rash look like?

Lung cancer can show up as lumps or red, itchy spots. It might get worse over time, like acne or eczema.

What are the dermatological manifestations of lung cancer?

Skin problems like jaundice, nodules, itching, and spots can be caused by lung cancer. Some therapies can cause side effects like itching, redness, or swelling.

Can lung disease cause skin rashes?

Yes, rashes can happen to people with lung diseases, like lung cancer, because of general inflammation or side effects of their treatment.

What does a cancerous rash look like?

Malignant spots can look like ulcers, tumors, or red, scaly patches that last for a long time. This problem doesn’t always get better without treatment. In some cases, it gets worse.

What are signs your body is fighting lung cancer?

A persistent cough, trouble breathing, lack of appetite, extreme tiredness, and even skin problems like rashes or pimples can be signs.