My hands and feet are sore and my nails look strange.

Some treatments cause redness, peeling and tenderness on the palms and soles, and some make nails darken, ridge or lift. Neither means the treatment is failing.

Keep the skin moisturized, avoid very hot water and tight shoes, and show us early. Caught early we can often adjust the dose and keep you on treatment instead of stopping it.

Written by two physicians. Checked against patient information from the US National Cancer Institute and Cancer Research UK.