Coming to grips with hand-foot syndrome. Insights from clinical trials evaluating capecitabine.

Hand-foot syndrome is a localized cutaneous side effect associated with the administration of several chemotherapeutic agents, including the oralfluoropyrimidine capecitabine (Xeloda). It is never life-threatening but can develop into a painful and debilitating condition that interferes with patients' normal daily activities and quality of life. Several symptomatic/prophylactic treatments have been used to alleviate hand-foot syndrome, but as yet there is insufficient prospective clinical evidence to support their use.