Dry and cracked hands and feet after chemotherapy may be due to hand-foot syndrome caused by some chemotherapy drugs.
Dry and cracked hands and feet after chemotherapy is considered to be hand-foot syndrome, a type of skin toxicity caused by chemotherapy drugs, such as capecitabine, doxorubicin and other chemotherapy drugs. Hand-foot syndrome can lead to symptoms such as peeling and dry cracking of the hands and feet, as well as possible nail loss and skin breakdown.
Treatment for hand and foot syndrome needs to be tailored to the severity of the condition, and topical creams such as prednisone and dexamethasone usually need to be given to relieve the discomfort. Medications such as vitamin B6 and vitamin E also need to be given, which can be preventative as well as therapeutic.
In the case of mild hand-foot syndrome, chemotherapy is usually not affected and there is no need to worry too much.