Contrary to what is prevalent! Chemotherapy causes unusual growth of a patient's eyelashes

A man's eyelashes have grown unusually long as a result of a side effect of cancer treatment.

In a report on the man's case, published Wednesday, April 24, in the journal JAMA Dermatology, doctors described the patient's sudden eyelash growth as "drug-induced capillary hyperplasia."

The term telangiectasia refers to a condition in which eyelashes grow too long, usually exceeding their usual length by about 12 mm or more. Meanwhile, eyelashes can become curlier, thicker and darker.

Many medications can lead to telangiectasia, including a class of drugs known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, which includes a chemotherapy called panitumumab, which works by blocking the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the body. . The man was taking the drug as part of a chemotherapy regimen for advanced colorectal cancer.

By blocking the receptor on cancer cells, the drug increases the chances of the cells self-destructing and also limits their ability to grow and spread.

However, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is not limited to cancer cells. The receptors appear in high quantities in certain types of tumors, but are also found in healthy tissues, including cells in the outer layer of skin and in hair follicles.

Evidence suggests that blocking the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may disrupt the natural cycle of hair growth, prolonging the phase in which hair is actively growing. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has also been linked to increased hair frizz and frizz, as well as the formation of new hair follicles.

Doctors say the resulting eyelash growth is well-established as a possible side effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) blockers, and has been reported alongside stunning images in other medical journals in the past.

In addition to chemotherapy drugs such as "panitumumab", other medications can lead to hair growth. For example, prostaglandins, hormone-like medications used to treat glaucoma, among other conditions, are thought to promote eyelash growth in a way similar to epidermal growth factor receptor blockers.

The condition has also been linked to infections such as HIV/AIDS and various genetic syndromes, including those that affect the response to growth factors.

The report's authors noted that when panitumumab causes eyelash growth, the side effect usually appears within the first few months of starting treatment and disappears after treatment stops.

Telangiectasia is usually harmless, except in cases where the eyelashes begin to grow in the wrong direction, toward the eyeball. It can damage the outer layer of the eye and lead to ulcers, loss of vision, and, in severe cases, blindness.