How to conduct integrated pharmaceutical care for patients with hand-foot syndrome associated with chemotherapeutic agents and targeted drugs

Abstract

Objective

The objective of this article was to offer practical operational process for pharmacists to successfully conduct integrated pharmaceutical care for patients with hand-foot syndrome associated with chemotherapeutic agents and targeted drugs which may facilitate the work of first-line clinical pharmacist.

Data sources: A literature review was conducted in March 2020 of Pubmed, Medline, and EMBASE (2010-2020) using terms such as: hand-foot syndrome, hand-foot skin reaction, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, chemotherapeutic agent, and multikinase inhibitor. Appropriate references from selected articles were also used.

Data summary: This paper involves 81 articles including review articles, meta-analysis, and clinical trials which focused on every aspect of hand-foot syndrome, such as manifestation, mechanism, occurrence rate, onset time, patient education, self-monitor scale, and management. Studies were thematically divided into four parts (clinical presentation of HFS, risk stratification, initiation of pharmaceutic care, and management of the adverse reaction).

Conclusion

HFS is one of the common adverse events which was associated with many chemotherapeutic agents and multikinase inhibitor drugs. Although the mechanisms and histopathology may be different, they due share some common clinical manifestations. As part of integrated pharmaceutical care for cancer patients, it is important to conduct patient education about the risk of hand-foot syndrome and basic knowledge about hand-foot syndrome management before initiating anticancer therapy. Once hand-foot syndrome happens, evidence-based management could try. If the hand-foot syndrome is intolerable, dose reduction or discontinuation of the anticancer therapy should be considered.