Therapy of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Abstract

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is still a common and disabling side effect of many chemotherapy agents in use today. Unfortunately, neither prophylactic strategies nor symptomatic treatments have proven useful yet. This review will discuss the diagnosis and evaluation of neuropathy in cancer patients, as well as reviewing the various prophylactic and symptomatic treatments that have been proposed or tried. However, sufficient evidence is lacking to recommend any of these treatments to patients suffering with CIPN. Therefore, the best approach is to treat symptomatically, and to start with broad-spectrum analgesic medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If NSAIDs fail, a reasonable second-line agent in properly selected patients may be an opioid. Unfortunately, even when effective in other types of neuropathic pain, anti-depressants and anticonvulsants have not yet proven effective for treating the symptoms of CIPN.

• Authors: Thomas J Kaley, Lisa M Deangelis
• Journal: British journal of haematology (Br J Haematol) Vol. 145 Issue 1 Pg. 3-14 (Apr 2009) ISSN: 1365-2141 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 19170681 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Analgesics, Opioid
• Anesthetics, Local
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
• Anticonvulsants
• Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic
• Antineoplastic Agents

Topics

• Analgesics, Opioid (therapeutic use)
• Anesthetics, Local (therapeutic use)
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal (therapeutic use)
• Anticonvulsants (therapeutic use)
• Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic (therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Neoplasms (complications, drug therapy)
• Peripheral Nervous System Diseases (chemically induced, drug therapy)