H. Ogawa et al., HIGH-INCIDENCE OF CHEMOTHERAPY-INDUCED ACRAL ERYTHEMA IN FEMALE-PATIENTS WITH NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMA TREATED WITH THE VACOP-B REGIMEN, Leukemia & lymphoma, 29(1-2), 1998, pp. 171
Seven patients, all females out of 29 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL
)(16 males and 13 females) treated with the VACOP-B regimen utilizing
granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) support developed chemot
herapy-induced acral erythema (CAE). In contrast, none of 32 patients
with NHL who were treated with CHOP, MACOP-B, or biweekly CHOP regimen
s without G-CSF developed CAE. Total dose intensities of VACOP-B regim
en were higher than those of the three other regimens. However, no sig
nificant difference in dose intensities of each drug in the patients t
reated with the VACOP-B regimen was found between male and female pati
ents and between female patients with or without CAE. The cause of the
high incidence of CAE (7/13) in the female patients treated with VACO
P-B regimen remains unknown. However, female sex hormones may increase
susceptibility to CAE. Since the occurrence of CAE interrupts intensi
ve chemotherapy and reduces the cure rate, high risk patients for CAE
should be carefully monitored for early symptoms and signs of CAE and
should be treated early and appropriately.