Serum Zinc Levels and Skin-related Adverse Events During Systemic Therapy for Renal Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the association between serum zinc levels and skin-related adverse events in patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma receiving systemic drug therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational study included 25 patients with unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who initiated systemic therapy between September 2018 and September 2023. Serum zinc levels were measured at multiple time points during treatment, and skin-related adverse events were graded according to CTCAE version 5.0. RESULTS: The median age was 73 years, and 76% of patients were male. Skin-related adverse events occurred in 12 patients (48%), with grade 3 or higher events in four patients (16%). A progressive decline in zinc levels was observed in 15 patients (60%) during treatment. Among seven patients with zinc levels measured at the time of adverse event occurrence, six (85.7%) exhibited decreased zinc levels compared to baseline. CONCLUSION: This study provides preliminary evidence of an association between zinc depletion and skin-related adverse events in patients with renal cell carcinoma receiving systemic therapy. Zinc monitoring may represent an underutilized strategy for optimizing patient care.