Yoshimoto, N., Yamashita, T., Fujita, T., Hayashi, H., Tsunoda, N., Kimura, M., . . . Iwata, H. (2010). Impact of prophylactic pyridoxine on occurrence of hand-foot syndrome in patients receiving capecitabine for advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Breast Cancer, 17, 298–302.
To assess the impact of prophylactic pyridoxine on hand-foot syndrome (HFS). The impact of urea ointment on HFS also was assessed.
Patients who were prescribed capecitabine at two hospitals between November 1, 2006, and October 30, 2007, received prophylactic pyridoxine 60 mg per day. The results were compared to those of a control group that did not receive prophylactic pyridoxine when the patients were prescribed capecitabine. Information on the prescription of urea ointment was available for the research group; 18 were prescribed urea ointment before HFS occurred.
Patients were undergoing the active treatment phase of care.
This was a retrospective study on patients treated with capecitabine with or without prophylactic pyridoxine.
Study findings did not support the effectiveness of pyridoxine in preventing HFS. Application of urea ointment may reduce the likelihood of developing HFS and prevent exacerbation to more severe HFS.
Because the data regarding prophylactic use of pyridoxine from this study contrasted with prospective data from a randomized phase 3 trial in patients with gastrointestinal disease, strongly recommending this approach is difficult. Evidence in this study is weak, and numerous limitations exist.