levoleucovorin and Pruritus

The purposes of this study were to assess the levels of symptom distress, body image, and epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRI)-associated health-related quality of life (QoL); identify the factors related to EGFRI-associated health-related QoL; and examine the differences in EGFRI-associated health-related QoL by grade of skin toxicity in mCRC patients receiving target therapy.. This cross-sectional study examined mCRC patients who received cetuximab-based target therapy from the oncology and CRC inpatient and outpatient departments of a medical center in northern Taiwan. Structured questionnaires were used to measure patients' symptom distress, body image, and EGFRI-associated health-related QoL.. Of the 111 mCRC patients studied, 79.2% reported acneiform eruption and 52.2% reported paronychia. The most common symptoms were dry skin and itching. Poor EGFRI-associated health-related QoL was associated with more symptom distress, more negative body image, a higher cumulative dose of target therapy, and being married; these factors explained 66.6% of the variance in EGFRI-associated health-related QoL.. Patient-specific skin care and emotional support are needed to relieve distressful dermatological symptoms and emotional distress during and post-treatment for mCRC.

Topics: Acneiform Eruptions; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Body Image; Camptothecin; Cetuximab; Colorectal Neoplasms; Cross-Sectional Studies; ErbB Receptors; Female; Fluorouracil; Humans; Leucovorin; Male; Middle Aged; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasm Metastasis; Organoplatinum Compounds; Paronychia; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Pruritus; Quality of Life; Skin Diseases; Surveys and Questionnaires

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Biomarkers, Tumor; CA-19-9 Antigen; Diagnosis, Differential; Fatal Outcome; Fluorouracil; Humans; Leucovorin; Male; Middle Aged; Organoplatinum Compounds; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Pruritus; Severity of Illness Index; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The study was designed to assess the skin and subcutaneous toxicity in patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma treated with four different schedules of FOLFOX.. The patients with histologically confirmed advanced colorectal carcinoma (CRC) were included in the study as per specified inclusion criteria. Toxicity was graded according to CTC v2.0. The frequency of grade 3 and 4 adverse effects were comparatively assessed in each treatment arm.. Very severe toxicity was attributed to the FOLFOX7 schedule. The difference between the incidence rate of grade 4 toxicity with all other grades for all parameters of skin and subcutaneous toxicity was highly significant (p=0.00<0.001). Grade 4 hand and foot syndrome was reported only in the FOLFOX7 treatment arm. The most frequent adverse symptom of skin and subcutaneous toxicity reported in the patients treated with modified schedule of FOLFOX was pruritus (grade 1). Frequency and onset of skin and subcutaneous toxic symptoms like alopecia (p=0.000), nail discoloration (p=0.021) and pruritis (p=0.000) was significantly different in each FOLFOX treatment arm. A few cases of oncholysis were also reported in the FOLFOX7 treatment arm. Hand and foot syndrome was fast progressing in patients with grade 1 toxicity.. Higher frequency and severity of hand and foot syndrome and pruritus wasa found in the FOLFOX7 treatment arm. Skin and subcutaneous toxicity was comparatively low in the FOLFOX6 treatment arm.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Alopecia; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Colorectal Neoplasms; Female; Fluorouracil; Follow-Up Studies; Hand-Foot Syndrome; Humans; Leucovorin; Male; Middle Aged; Nail Diseases; Organoplatinum Compounds; Prognosis; Pruritus; Skin Diseases; Toxicity Tests; Young Adult