A man's eyelashes grew unusually long and developed a dramatic curl — and it turned out to be a side effect of his cancer treatment.
Several drugs can trigger trichomegaly, including a class of medicines known as epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors. These include a chemotherapy drug called panitumumab, which works by blocking EGFR in the body; the man was taking this drug as part of a chemotherapy regimen for advanced colorectal cancer. By blocking the receptor on tumor cells, the drug increases the chances that the cells will self-destruct and also suppresses their ability to grow and spread.
In addition to chemotherapy drugs like panitumumab, other medicines can trigger trichomegaly. For instance, prostaglandins — hormone-like drugs used to treat glaucoma, among other conditions — are thought to boost eyelash growth in a similar way to EGFR blockers. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.RELATED STORIES—Why do men's eyebrows get bushier with age?The condition has also been tied to infections such as HIV/AIDS and to various genetic syndromes, including ones that affect the response to growth factors.