Pyridoxine for prevention of hand-foot syndrome caused by chemotherapy: a systematic review

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#antineoplastic-agents #drug-administration-schedule #female #hand-foot-syndrome #humans

Pyridoxine for prevention of hand-foot syndrome caused by chemotherapy: a systematic review

Chen et al., 2013 | PLoS One | Meta Analysis

Citation

Chen Min, Zhang Lingli, ... Shen Jiantong. Pyridoxine for prevention of hand-foot syndrome caused by chemotherapy: a systematic review. PLoS One. 2013;8(8):e72245. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072245

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is a relatively frequent dermatologic toxic reaction to certain anti-cancer chemotherapies. The syndrome can evolve into a distressing condition that limits function and affects quality of life. Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) has been used empirically for the prevention of HFS caused by anti-cancer therapy. However, evidence of its efficacy remains controversial. METHODOLOGY//PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Systematic literature searches were conducted on the Cochrane Library, PUBMED, EMBASE, LILACS, CBM, CNKI, VIP, WANFANG and the U.S. ClinicalTrials.gov website. We included all related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) irrespective of language. Reviewers from different professions independently assessed all potential studies and extracted data. Subgroup analysis was planned according to dose of pyridoxine. 5 RCTs involving 607 patients were contributed to the meta-analysis. No significant differences were found between patients receiving pyridoxine and placebo for prevention of incidence of HFS and grade 2 or worse HFS (relative risk (RR) 0.96, 95%confidence interval (CI) 0.86-1.06; RR0.95, 95%CI 0.73-1.24, respectively). Similarly, no significant improvement in quality of life was detected among patients. However, significant difference was found for prevention of grade 2 or worse HFS with pyridoxine 400 mg daily compared to 200 mg (RR0.55, 95%CI 0.33-0.92). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: There is inadequate evidence to make any recommendation about using pyridoxine for prevention of HFS caused by chemotherapy. However, pyridoxine 400 mg may have some efficacy. Further studies of large sample sizes are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pyridoxine, especially at high dose, in comparison with placebo.

Key Findings

Systematic literature searches were conducted on the Cochrane Library, PUBMED, EMBASE, LILACS, CBM, CNKI, VIP, WANFANG and the U.S. ClinicalTrials.gov website. We included all related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) irrespective of language. Reviewers from different professions independently assessed all potential studies and extracted data. Subgroup analysis was planned according to dose of pyridoxine. 5 RCTs involving 607 patients were contributed to the meta-analysis. No significant diffe

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 607
Age Range See abstract
Condition stress

MeSH Terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Female
  • Hand-Foot Syndrome
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplasms
  • Quality of Life
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vitamin B 6

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: vitamin-b6

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09