Incidence of hand-foot syndrome with capecitabine in combination with chemotherapy as first-line treatment in patients with advanced and/or metastatic gastric cancer suitable for treatment with a fluoropyrimidine-based regimen.

Introduction: Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a limiting toxicity of capecitabine, which is not life-threatening but could compromise capecitabine efficacy.

Materials And Methods: This phase II, multicenter, non-controlled study assessed the safety, particularly grade three HFS incidence, and efficacy of four capecitabine-based chemotherapy regimens [cisplatin/capecitabine (CX), epirubicin/cisplatin/capecitabine (ECX), epirubicin/oxaliplatin/capecitabine (EOX) and docetaxel/cisplatin/capecitabine (DCX)] as first-line treatment for advanced and/or metastatic gastric cancer.

Results: One hundred and eight patients were assigned to one of the four treatment groups, according to investigator's criteria, and grouped together for both safety and efficacy primary analyses.