By Admin at 16 Feb 2016, 11:11 AM

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is damage to your peripheral nerves that is caused by chemotherapy drugs. Your peripheral nerves are distant nerves (away from your brain and spinal cord) that carry feeling to your brain and play a role in the movement of your arms and legs as well as bladder and bowel control.

In research presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting in San Francisco, California, it was revealed just how common this treatment side effect actually is, even years after treatment has ended.

The study involved nearly 500 women who had survived breast, lung, colon, ovarian or blood cancers. Nearly half (45 percent) of them reported symptoms of nerve damage an average of six years after their initial diagnosis.

The women reported poorer physical functioning and difficulty performing daily tasks, such as cooking and shopping, as a result of CIPN. The nerve damage was often severe enough to cause changes in walking patterns and nearly doubled the women’s risk of falls compared to those without nerve-damage symptoms.

Although the study only involved women, men are also vulnerable to CIPN. Symptoms tend to start in your toes or fingers and then move inward toward your ankles and legs or hands and arms, respectively.

The symptoms you experience depend on which nerves are damaged but most commonly include the following, according to the American Cancer Society:

There is no definitive way to prevent CIPN at this time, however certain preventive therapies, including the use of vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and glutathione, are being studied.

Giving smaller doses of chemotherapy more often, or stretching out one dose over a longer period of time (even a slow infusion over a period of several days), may also lower your risk of CIPN. A stop-and-go treatment plan is another potential option. The American Cancer Society reported:

“This treatment gives chemo until a certain dose is reached, or until CIPN reaches a certain level. Then the treatment is stopped until the CIPN gets better or until the cancer seems to be growing again. When this happens the chemo is restarted, often at a lower dose than before. This approach is now being studied to see how it affects CIPN and treatment outcomes.”

As for treatment, medications can be given to help relieve pain. Some people also find relief from acupuncture, electrical nerve stimulation, relaxation therapy and biofeedback. In addition, featured study author Kerri Winters-Stone, a research professor at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, said in a news release:

“While there are no effective treatments for this side effect, rehabilitative exercise programs may preserve physical functioning and mobility in the presence of neuropathy to help prevent falls and resulting injuries."

Sources:
Medline Plus January 15, 2016
American Cancer Society, Peripheral Neuropathy Caused by Chemotherapy

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