Pyridoxine is not effective to prevent hand-foot syndrome associated with capecitabine therapy: results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether concurrent pyridoxine therapy can prevent the development of hand-foot syndrome (HFS) in patients being treated with capecitabine.


METHODS
Chemotherapy-naive patients with GI tract cancers scheduled for capecitabine-containing chemotherapy were randomly assigned to concurrent oral pyridoxine (200 mg/d) or placebo. Patients were stratified by chemotherapy regimen and monitored until development of National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria grade 2 or worse HFS or capecitabine-containing chemotherapy ended. Patients in the placebo group who developed grade 2 or worse HFS were randomly assigned again to receive pyridoxine or placebo in the next chemotherapy cycle to determine whether pyridoxine could improve HFS.


RESULTS
The median number of chemotherapy cycles to grade 2 or worse HFS was three in both groups. Grade 2 or worse HFS developed in 55 (30.6%) of 180 placebo-treated patients and in 57 (31.7%) of 180 pyridoxine patients. The cumulative dose of capecitabine to grade 2 or worse HFS was not different between the two groups (median not reached in either group; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95; P = .788). Randomization of the 44 patients in the placebo group with grade 2 or worse HFS to placebo or pyridoxine for the next cycle resulted in no significant difference in the proportion showing improvement of HFS (42.9% v 47.8%; HR = 1.12; P = .94). By multivariate analysis, age > or = 56 years (HR = 1.768; 95% CI, 1.190 to 2.628; P = .005) was an independent risk factor for grade 2 or worse HFS, and combined use of docetaxel (HR = 2.046; 95% CI, 0.880 to 4.755; P = .096) was of borderline significance.


CONCLUSIONS
Pyridoxine is not effective in prevention of capecitabine-associated HFS.
Kang
Yoon-Koo
YK
Department of Oncology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Songpa-gu, Seoul, 138-736 Korea. ykkang@amc.seoul.kr
Lee
Sung Sook
SS
Yoon
Dok Hyun
DH
Lee
So Young
SY
Chun
Young Ju
YJ
Kim
Min Sun
MS
Ryu
Min-Hee
MH
Chang
Heung-Moon
HM
Lee
Jae-Lyun
JL
Kim
Tae Won
TW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005533:Foot Dermatoses / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013577:Syndrome; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D000069287:Capecitabine; D011736:Pyridoxine; D005472:Fluorouracil