What is causing that rash on my face - Erbitux

This is me and my good friend Jennifer at our high school reunion last weekend.

If you have seen me lately you must have noticed that my face is broken out like a teenage boy with acne. That is due to one of the drugs that I'm on called Erbitux.

Erbitux is one drug in a new class of Chemo drugs, called monoclonal antibodies, These drugs are much more targeted therapies than conventional chemo. Erbitux recognizes a certain receptor on cancer cells called EGRF (Epidermal Growth Receptor Factor) and attaches to it. The receptor is responsible for cell growth. The drug clogs the receptor and causes the cells to die. Unfortunately, EGRF is also found in the Epidermis, or the very top layer of skin cells, especially the ones on the head and shoulders because this area of the skin takes a lot of daily wear and tear, and therefore grows / replenishes itself at a faster rate.

Erbitux also gets to the cuticles of the fingernails because these contain skin cells that grow quick too. Therefore if you ever bit or picked at your cuticles, you can imagine the possible results.

This is all a small price to pay, and after treatment ends everything goes back to normal. Its not perfect, but it is an advancement in chemo.

Because it is so new, Erbitux is available to me only by participating in a clinical trial. I was assigned a special Chemo-dermatologist at Northwestern who only sees patients on Erbitux, to monitor what is happening. There are some more drugs to take to help make the rash go away.. somewhat. They say that since I have a healthy rash, that means I am a good responder to Erbitux and it should be working well.

More info on Erbitux

Finally here is a claim to fame, and another reason to feel good being on Erbitux. If you have been following the news lately regarding the world-famous 33-year old Chicago Chef, Grant Achatz, who has tongue cancer. He refused to have surgery because it would end his career. He is currently undergoing chemo and is on Erbitux, and has shown a lot of improvement.

Check these links out:

Grant Achatz

Despite Setback, Achatz Upbeat

Update: More good news on Grant Achatz