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WHAT IS CHEMOTHERAPY HAND-FOOT SYNDROME

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WHAT IS CHEMOTHERAPY HAND-FOOT SYNDROME

  • Hand-food syndrome, also known as palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, is a condition that can occur as a side effect due to certain chemotherapy drugs.
  • The condition results in swelling, redness, and blistering on the palms and soles of the feet.
  • A handful of chemotherapy drugs cause this condition, but it is important to know of them before your treatment to make sure hand-foot syndrome can be treated as early as possible.
  • The condition appears within 2 to 3 months of the start of treatment.
  • It usually starts as redness on the hands and feet and is a lot more common on the palms than it is at the soles.
  • The redness often looks similar to a sunburn, making the hands and feet turn entirely red, unlike a patchy rash.
  • Pain and a burning sensation may follow the redness. However, in serious cases, the skin might feel light and tender, with dry skin that easily cracks and can be peeled off.
  • The condition may be unavoidable if you need those drugs for your treatment, but, thankfully, it can be treated quite easily.
  • Let’s look at that and more about hand-foot syndrome:

Which Drugs Cause Hand-Foot Syndrome?

Several chemotherapy drugs can be responsible for hand-foot syndrome, including:

  1. capecitabine (Xeloda®)
  2. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)
  3. doxorubicin (Adriamycin®)
  4. docetaxel (Taxotere®)
  5. liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil®)
  6. cytarabine (Cytosar®)

Is It the Same as Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease?

  • Although you may find them similar due to where the symptoms appear, hand-food syndrome and hand, foot, and mouth disease are two entirely different conditions.
  • The latter usually occurs in children and appears as a rash on the hands, feet, and mouth and is a result of being exposed to a virus.
  • However, the hand-foot syndrome is a complication caused by chemotherapy and exhibits symptoms more consistent with a sunburn.

Who is More Likely to Get Hand-Foot Syndrome?

Hand-foot syndrome is most common in people taking regular doses of capecitabine.  Getting 5-FU pumped into you over time is also likely to develop the hand-foot syndrome.  These drugs are used to treat a variety of cancers, with gastrointestinal cancer treatment being the most common cause of the hand-foot syndrome. Besides gastrointestinal cancer, the list of cancers that increase the risk of hand-foot syndrome during chemotherapy includes:

  1. Stomach cancer
  2. Pancreatic cancer
  3. Esophageal cancer
  4. Anal cancer
  5. Liver cancer
  6. Colorectal cancer
  7. Bile duct cancer
  8. Sarcoma
  9. Lymphoma
  10. Ovarian cancer
  11. Breast cancer

Treatment

  • Treatment of hand-foot syndrome involves controlling syndrome.
  • Topical steroid creams might be prescribed to combat inflammation and swelling.
  • Treatment may also be put on hold for a while, or the dosage of chemotherapy drugs decreased to help in recovery.
  • For prevention, doctors usually recommend moisturizing the skin regularly.
  • Moisturizing is a part of the treatment as well. It helps remove dryness and keep symptoms under control.