Onkologie. 2025:19(3):156-159 | DOI: 10.36290/xon.2025.029

Hypersensitivity drug reactions and desensitization in oncology

Tomáš Balner, Jaromír Bystroň
Oddělení alergologie a klinické imunologie FN Ostrava Ústav laboratorní medicíny, Lékařská fakulta, Ostravská univerzita

Hypersensitivity drug reactions represent an unexpected complication of oncological treatment. They impair the patient's quality of life and may pose a life-threatening risk. Another negative consequence is the necessity to interrupt the administration of first-line oncological therapy, which, in the best-case scenario, can be replaced with an equally effective alternative. However, when no equally effective alternative exists, the only option to maintain the patient on their primary treatment is desensitization. For successful and safe desensitization, risk stratification based on knowledge of the phenotype, endotype, and biomarkers of the prior hypersensitivity reaction, along with close collaboration between the oncologist and allergist, is essential.

Keywords: hypersensitivity reactions, desensitization, anaphylaxis, anticancer chemotherapy, monoclonal antibodies.

Accepted: June 26, 2025; Published: July 4, 2025  Show citation

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Balner T, Bystroň J. Hypersensitivity drug reactions and desensitization in oncology. Onkologie. 2025;19(3):156-159. doi: 10.36290/xon.2025.029.
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