Chemo rash is one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment. These rashes usually aren’t serious, but they can cause pain, itching, and other uncomfortable symptoms.
Chemotherapy, also called chemo, is a commonly used cancer treatment. It involves taking chemical medications that destroy cancer cells or keep them from replicating.
Although chemotherapy can be an effective cancer treatment, it can also damage healthy cells in the body and cause side effects.
Cells that replicate quickly, such as skin cells, are particularly prone to damage. And damage to skin cells often leads to rashes.
Treatment for chemotherapy-induced rashes usually revolves around minimizing symptoms. Most of the time, the rash will go away when you finish your treatment.
This article takes a closer look at chemotherapy rashes, including what causes them, what they look like, and how best to manage them.
Chemo rash is a general term for a rash that forms from chemotherapy treatment. The term may also be used more generally to refer to rashes that develop due to cancer treatment.
Rashes remain one of the
Some of the common locations for chemo rash include the:
- face
- neck
- chest
- upper back
- scalp
Chemotherapy can cause many types of rashes. Here are some examples of what chemotherapy rashes may look like:
Maculopapular rash
Maculopapular rashes have sections that are flat and other sections that are raised. These rashes are sometimes itchy or painful. They can look like pink-red bumps on top of pink-red patches on people with light skin or purple-brown bumps on purple-brown patches on people with dark skin.
Maculopapular rashes commonly occur on the:
- face
- chest
- stomach
- back
These rashes are particularly common with certain chemotherapy drugs. For example, they make up more than 80% of rashes caused by the medication cladribine.
Papulopustular rash
Papulopustular rashes usually occur on the:
- chest
- upper back
- face
“Papulo” refers to small raised bumps, and “pustular” refers to small pus-filled blisters.
These rashes may be itchy or painful. They’re particularly common with a type of targeted therapy drug called EGFR inhibitors, occurring in up to 90% of people.
Acneiform rash
Acneiform rashes have pustules. These are small bumps with or without pus that resemble acne. They
They often occur on the:
- face
- scalp
- upper chest
- back
Erythema multiform rash
Erythema multiforme rashes have raised, round spots called target lesions since they look like bullseyes. They usually have three rings and a blister in the middle.
They commonly occur on the:
- hands
- feet
- face
Purpura rash
Purpura are tiny pinpoint spots of discoloration caused by broken blood vessels. They’re commonly caused by low platelet counts, which is another side effect of chemotherapy and some other cancer medications.
Chemotherapy medications target cells in the body that replicate quickly. This makes them useful for destroying cancer cells, but it means they might also destroy some healthy cells as a side effect.
Damage to the skin cells can lead to rashes or other skin problems such as dryness.
Some chemotherapy medications may also contribute to the development of rashes by causing the skin cells to become
The cells in your bone marrow that create blood cells can also become damaged by chemotherapy medications. Damage to these cells might lead to lower amounts of platelets, which can indirectly lead to purpura.
Alkylating agents and antimetabolites are among the types of chemotherapy that most often cause rashes. Alkylating agents bond to the DNA of cells and cause cell death. Antimetabolites inhibit the synthesis and repair of cell DNA.
Most chemo rashes go away once treatment is finished. It’s important to tell your cancer team about your rashes so that they can recommend the best treatment options.
Some of the treatments you might receive include:
- moisturizers
- steroids
- antibiotics
- painkillers
- anti-itching creams
Your doctor can tell you how to avoid rashes during your cancer treatment. Some of the general ways that you can take care of your skin that might help treat rashes include:
- washing your skin using a mild and low-pH cleaner
- avoiding aggressively scrubbing your skin or using abrasive products
- using gentle moisturizers and other gentle skin products
- washing your clothes with gentle, fragrance-free detergent
- avoiding skin care products with scents
- minimizing sun contact and using sunscreen
Learn more about how to take care of your skin during chemotherapy.
Rashes are one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy medications broadly target cells in your body that replicate quickly. This makes skin cells particularly vulnerable to damage.
Most chemo rashes go away once you finish treatment. In the meantime, you can talk with your doctor about potential treatment options to help manage uncomfortable symptoms.