Palmar Plantar Syndrome (hand foot syndrome)

Second line treatment includes Caelyx and Gemzar. Caelyx contains doxorubicin which is one of few chemotherapy drugs which is effective in ovarian cancer. This drug causes the palmar plantar (hand foot) syndrome in some people who take it. The symptoms are painful peeling, even blistering skin on palms of the hands and soles of the feet that is made worse by pressure and friction. There may be numbness and tingling of the hands and feet. In most cancers the chemotherapy drug which caused it would be stopped but in ovarian cancer the drug is continued, often at a reduced dose, despite this side effect. Symptoms get worse with each cycle of treatment. To prevent the condition from becoming even worse, women will be advised to walk as little as possible and to avoid doing activities involving pressure or friction on the hands; these activities are painful anyway. Walking short distances is painful and difficult, use of the hands to prepare food, pick things up, clean or vacuum will be painful. They will have been advised to reduce these activities as much as possible to prevent the condition becoming so severe that chemotherapy treatment has to be stopped. The condition resolves when treatment is finished.

Amended April 2008