Interdisciplinary Approach to Managing Skin Toxicities

Kathryn Ciccolini, RN, BSN, OCN, an oncology nurse at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), discusses the importance of an interdisciplinary team in the management of skin toxicities associated with anticancer therapies.

At MSKCC, there is a team dedicated to the management of skin toxicities associated with anticancer agents. This clinical and administrative team consists of a physician, two registered nurses, a patient care technician who is a trained medical photographer, and an excellent administrative team.

The success of this team is derived from being proactive with the management of dermatologic adverse events, Ciccolini says. The goal of the interdisciplinary team is to ensure that anticancer therapy does not need to be stopped, as a result dermatologic side effect.

In order for an interdisciplinary team to be successful, healthy, and high performing, it must continuously care about efficiency, productivity, trust, cohesion, and effective communication, believes Ciccolini. Moreover, the team should constantly strategize on ways to build, change, and improve for the future. Every member of the team is a critical piece toward patient care, adds Ciccolini.