Abstract
Rohollah Masumi
Background and Aims Hand–foot syndrome (HFS) is a distinct and relatively frequent toxic skin reaction
associated with certain chemotherapy agents, particularly capecitabine. Given the
complications of this syndrome and the critical importance of timely and accurate
treatment, the present study aims to investigate the efficacy of topical heparin gel
in alleviating HFS in cancer patients undergoing treatment with capecitabine.
Methods A total of 40 patients with grade ⩽ 1 HFS associated with capecitabine were randomly
assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received heparin
sulfate gel four times a day (21 days) along with capecitabine treatment, while the
control group received only capecitabine and placebo gel. The changes in the severity
of HFS and clinical manifestations, including erythema, swelling, blisters, hyperkeratosis,
and bleeding, at baseline and 3 weeks posttreatment were evaluated. The data were
subsequently validated by Fisher's or Chi-square tests.
Results At the beginning of the study, there were no significant differences between the
two groups regarding disease manifestations. However, after the intervention, a significant
difference was observed between the groups in terms of erythema and swelling (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences between the groups in other manifestations,
such as blisters, bleeding, and scaling (p = 0.99). Comparison of the degree of HFS in the intervention group showed that 11
patients experienced improvement after the intervention, while all patients in the
control group remained at the same degree of syndrome as before the intervention.
Conclusion The management of HFS in cancer treatment includes a combination of prevention, patient
education, symptom improvement, and dose-intensity management. According to the results,
it can be said that due to the positive effect of topical heparin gel in improving
HFS caused by capecitabine and due to the absence of side effects, the use of topical
heparin gel is recommended.
Key Points
-
Hand–foot syndrome (HFS) is a distinct and relatively frequent toxic skin reaction
associated with capecitabine.
-
The efficacy of topical heparin gel in alleviating HFS in cancer patients was investigated.
-
Topical heparin gel is recommended due to its positive effect in improving HFS caused
by capecitabine.
Keywords
topical - heparin sulfate gel - hand–foot syndrome - capecitabine - chemotherapy -
cancer
