Three case reports of hand-foot syndrome with gefitinib

Hand-Foot Syndrome (HFS) is commonly reported in treatment with liposomal doxorubicin (LD) and capecitabine. We present 3 cases of HFS recall with gefitinib after previous LD therapy. The first 2 cases, in patients with head and neck cancer previously treated with paclitaxel and LD, developed on subsequent therapy with gefitinib. One patient had previously developed HFS on LD and the other had not. In both patients HFS resolved after stopping gefitinib. The third case is of a patient with ovarian cancer, also treated with gefitinib after LD, who developed HFS recall which resolved after gefitinib withdrawal. HFS can occur with gefitinib in patients who have been previously exposed to agents known to cause HFS.