Pyridoxine in Preventing Hand-Foot Syndrome Caused by Capecitabine in Patients With Cancer

Overview

RATIONALE: Pyridoxine may help prevent hand-foot syndrome caused by capecitabine in patients with cancer. It is not yet known whether pyridoxine is more effective than a placebo in preventing hand-foot syndrome in patients with cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying pyridoxine to see how well it works compared with a placebo in preventing hand-foot syndrome caused by capecitabine in patients with cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Primary * Compare the incidence of capecitabine-induced palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (hand-foot syndrome \[HFS\]) ≥ grade 2 in patients with cancer treated with pyridoxine hydrochloride vs placebo. Secondary * Compare the time to onset of HFS ≥ grade 2 in patients treated with these regimens. * Compare the quality of life changes in patients treated with these regimens. * Identify factors predicting toxicity from capecitabine chemotherapy. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients are stratified according to gender and treatment setting (adjuvant/neoadjuvant vs palliative setting). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I: Beginning concurrently with planned capecitabine treatment, patients receive oral pyridoxine hydrochloride once daily on days 1-21. * Arm II: Beginning concurrently with planned capecitabine treatment, patients receive oral placebo once daily on days 1-21. In both arms, treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 8 courses (until discontinuation of capecitabine treatment). Quality of life is assessed at baseline, at the beginning of courses 2, 4, 6, and 8, and at the end of the study.