title: Prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of pyridoxine supplements in the management of hand-foot syndrome during chemotherapy: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a common cutaneous side effect of certain systemic chemotherapeutic agents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of pyridoxine supplements in the management of HFS.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for studies reporting the efficacy of pyridoxine supplements to manage HFS. We performed a meta-analysis using HFS incidence and improvement rates to measure the preventive and treatment efficacy of pyridoxine supplementation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We assessed eight studies [two retrospective studies, two prospective comparative trials and four randomized controlled trials (RCTs)] for preventive efficacy and three studies (one RCT and two non-RCTs) for treatment efficacy. A random-effects meta-analysis did not find any significant association between prophylactic pyridoxine supplementation and HFS development [relative risk (RR) = 0.95; 95% CI 0.87-1.05) or any significant preventive efficacy against HFS in subgroup meta-analyses of study design, chemotherapeutic agents, pyridoxine dose, HFS severity, publication year or observation period. However, pyridoxine did show significant efficacy in treating HFS (RR = 1.75; 95% CI 1.09-2.80), but did not show efficacy in the only RCT (RR = 1.12; 95% CI 0.58-2.14).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no clinical evidence to support the use of pyridoxine supplements to prevent HFS during chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: S-K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Myung
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D019468:Disease Management; D060831:Hand-Foot Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014803:Vitamin B Complex / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014803:Vitamin B Complex; D011736:Pyridoxine