A woman newly diagnosed with colon cancer began chemotherapy with fluoroura
cil and leucovorin. Chemotherapy was given daily for 5 days with prochlorpe
razine premedication and was well tolerated. The patient continued her prev
ious drug regimen during and after chemotherapy, which consisted of hormone
replacement therapy, chloroquine, insulin, multivitamin, and tretinoin top
ical. cream. Several days after the end of the first cycle of chemotherapy
she experienced a dramatic photosensitivity reaction. Tretinoin application
was discontinued, and she recovered. All other drugs remained unchanged. T
he patient was treated with five additional cycles of chemotherapy. She did
not experience the reaction with any potentially photosensitizing agents a
gain; only when the specific sequence and drug combination was administered
in the first cycle.