Encyclopedia · drug with hair side effects
BRAF inhibitors (vemurafenib, dabrafenib)
Melanoma pills that caused hair loss in 2 of 20 patients and curly hair in one in a small prospective study.
Prescription medicine, used off-label for hair
Cost $$$
Safety: serious
What it is
Prescription oral targeted drugs for melanoma.
How it works
Blocking the MAPK pathway affects follicle skin cells and causes follicle-centred skin eruptions.
What the studies show
- In a prospective study of 20 patients, 2 (11%) developed alopecia after 8-10 weeks, one dabrafenib patient developed curly hair at 24 weeks, and 37% had a rough follicular eruption. Vanneste 2015
- The incidence of texture change is not quantified; compare EGFR inhibitors.
How it's used in studies
Not applicable.
Side effects and safety
Papillomas, keratoacanthomas and squamous cell carcinomas were seen in the same study.
Bottom line
A small series; hair effects are minor next to the drugs' skin-cancer-related risks. Discuss with a doctor.
Fun facts
- One patient on a melanoma pill grew curly hair after 24 weeks, a cousin of the EGFR-inhibitor curls. Vanneste 2015
Studies 1
Vanneste L et al. Cutaneous adverse effects of BRAF inhibitors in metastatic melanoma. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015
Result: Alopecia in 2 (11%) after 8-10 weeks; one dabrafenib patient developed curly hair at 24 weeks; 37% had follicular eruption.
Read the study ↗Related
- EGFR inhibitors (erlotinib, cetuximab)Cancer drugs that block the EGF receptor can make eyelashes grow abnormally long and curly, and scalp hair curly or brittle, all reversing after the drug stops.
- Immune checkpoint inhibitors (nivolumab, pembrolizumab)Anti-PD-1 cancer immunotherapy darkened white hair in 13 of 14 lung cancer patients in one series, and in a single case left a persistent curly-hair look.
- Hedgehog pathway inhibitors (vismodegib, sonidegib)Skin-cancer pills that block the Hedgehog pathway, which drives follicle growth, caused hair loss in 56.9% of patients in a meta-analysis, the highest of any targeted cancer drug.