The hand-foot syndrome (HFS) is an erythematous skin lesion of the palma and planta of the hand and feet is most often caused by cytostatic chemotherapy. The impact on the patients' quality of life depends on the extent of the disease. The pathogenesis of the hand-foot syndrome has not yet been sufficiently clarified and it can only be treated symptomatically. We performed an extensive literature search in Medline to evaluate the current state of knowledge concerning the hand-foot syndrome and conclude with practical advice to physicians treating patients with hand-foot syndrome.