Observations and hypothesis on an individual patient topically treated for capecitabine-induced Palmar-Plantar syndrome.

Palmar-Plantar syndrome (PPS) is a common side effect of oral capecitabine--a chemotherapeutic agent used as an adjuvant treatment for colorectal cancer. A 66-year-old man suffering from grade II PPS described how Germolene New Skin, a topical healing agent, provided relief from the pain associated with this syndrome and a return to normal function. The patient's observations form the basis for some interesting hypotheses regarding the natural progression of PPS and the potential of New Skin to alleviate pain. Caution must be exercised at this stage as these are single case observations; however, they may be worthy of further exploration in a randomised controlled clinical trial.