Pyridoxine and Topical Urea/Lactic Acid-Based Cream in Preventing Hand-Foot Syndrome in Patients Receiving Capecitabine for Breast Cancer or Other Cancer

OBJECTIVES: * Determine whether the prophylactic use of a topical urea/lactic acid cream can decrease the incidence/severity of capecitabine-caused palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia in patients receiving capecitabine for breast and/or other cancer. * Evaluate the potential toxicity of this cream. * Determine whether the prophylactic use of vitamin B6 can decrease the incidence and/or severity of capecitabine-caused palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia. * Evaluate the potential toxicity of vitamin B6. * Determine whether the prophylactic use of a topical urea/lactic acid cream in combination with vitamin B6 can decrease the incidence and/or severity of capecitabine caused palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients are stratified according to age (\< 50 years old vs 50-60 years old vs \> 60 years old), sex, capecitabine dose level (2000 mg/day vs 2500 mg/day), cancer type (breast vs other), and mode of therapy (adjuvant \[including neo-adjuvant\] therapy vs metastatic disease). Patients are randomized to 1 of 6 treatment arms (treatment arms I-IV closed to accrual as of 10/24/007). * Arm I (closed to accrual as of 10/24/2007): Patients receive topical urea/lactic acid-based cream applied to palms and soles twice daily and oral pyridoxine once daily on days 1-21. * Arm II (closed to accrual as of 10/24/2007): Patients receive topical urea/lactic acid-based cream as in arm I (closed to accrual as of 10/24/2007) and oral placebo once daily on days 1-21. * Arm III (closed to accrual as of 10/24/2007): Patients receive placebo cream applied to palms and soles twice daily and pyridoxine as in arm I (closed to accrual as of 10/24/2007). * Arm IV (closed to accrual as of 10/24/2007):Patients receive placebo cream as in arm III and oral placebo as in arm II (closed to accrual as of 10/24/2007). * Arm V: Patients receive topical urea/lactic acid-based cream applied to palms and soles twice daily on days 1-21. * Arm VI: Patients receive placebo cream applied to palms and soles twice daily on days 1-21. In all arms, treatment repeats every 21 days for up to 4 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.