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Drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus associated with docetaxel chemotherapy: a case report
Noelle Y Wong, Laurie M Parsons, Martin J Trotter
1Department of Oncology, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Calgary, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, 1331 29 St NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N2, Canada. roger.tsang@albertahealthservices.ca.
Background:
Drug-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus is an uncommon disorder associated with the use of pharmacological agents including systemic chemotherapy.
Case Presentation:
We report a case of docetaxel-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus in a 60-year-old Caucasian female with Sjögren's syndrome diagnosed 2 months after receiving docetaxel as part of the adjuvant FEC-D (5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, docetaxel) chemotherapy protocol for early stage breast cancer. Although the exact mechanisms behind the autoimmune response elicited by docetaxel are unclear, the involvement of anti-SSA/Ro antibodies has been implicated.
Conclusion:
This case highlights the symptom severity and clinical course of docetaxel-induced subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus, and highlights the importance of recognizing this uncommon but potentially severe chemotherapy-associated cutaneous reaction.
