The preliminary effects of henna on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in women receiving oxaliplatin-based treatment: A parallel-group, randomized, controlled pilot trial

Topical menthol for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a randomised controlled trial in breast cancer

OBJECTIVES

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) symptom is one of the side effects of paclitaxel in breast cancer patients. This randomised controlled study was conducted to investigate the effect of topical menthol applied on the hands and feet of breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy on CIPN symptoms.

METHODS

60 breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=30), which received topical menthol treatment, or a control group (n=30), which received standard care. Both groups continued their routine pharmacological treatments throughout the study. The intervention group applied 1% menthol topically to their hands and feet two times a day. The effect of the intervention on CIPN symptoms was evaluated 3 weeks and 6 weeks after the intervention.

RESULTS

The intervention group showed a significantly greater improvement in CIPN symptoms over time compared with the control group, with an effect size of η2=0.214 for the group×time interaction. Additionally, the intervention group exhibited a notable positive change in the exposure subscale of the CIPN rating scale, with an effect size of η2=0.114.

CONCLUSIONS

Topical application of menthol significantly mitigates the symptoms of CIPN in breast cancer patients. This study supports the use of menthol as an effective adjunctive treatment for CIPN.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05429814.

Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) with Non-Pharmacological Interventions: Clinical Recommendations from a Systematic Scoping Review and an Expert Consensus Process

Background: Most individuals affected by cancer who are treated with certain chemotherapies suffer of CIPN. Therefore, there is a high patient and provider interest in complementary non-pharmacological therapies, but its evidence base has not yet been clearly pointed out in the context of CIPN. Methods: The results of a scoping review overviewing the published clinical evidence on the application of complementary therapies for improving the complex CIPN symptomatology are synthesized with the recommendations of an expert consensus process aiming to draw attention to supportive strategies for CIPN. The scoping review, registered at PROSPERO 2020 (CRD 42020165851), followed the PRISMA-ScR and JBI guidelines. Relevant studies published in Pubmed/MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PEDro, Cochrane CENTRAL, and CINAHL between 2000 and 2021 were included. CASP was used to evaluate the methodologic quality of the studies. Results: Seventy-five studies with mixed study quality met the inclusion criteria. Manipulative therapies (including massage, reflexology, therapeutic touch), rhythmical embrocations, movement and mind-body therapies, acupuncture/acupressure, and TENS/Scrambler therapy were the most frequently analyzed in research and may be effective treatment options for CIPN. The expert panel approved 17 supportive interventions, most of them were phytotherapeutic interventions including external applications and cryotherapy, hydrotherapy, and tactile stimulation. More than two-thirds of the consented interventions were rated with moderate to high perceived clinical effectiveness in therapeutic use. Conclusions: The evidence of both the review and the expert panel supports a variety of complementary procedures regarding the supportive treatment of CIPN; however, the application on patients should be individually weighed in each case. Based on this meta-synthesis, interprofessional healthcare teams may open up a dialogue with patients interested in non-pharmacological treatment options to tailor complementary counselling and treatments to their needs.

Psychometric Properties of the Korean Version of the Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a multidimensional symptom cluster induced by neurotoxic chemotherapy agents among patients with cancer. A well-developed tool for assessing CIPN can help with the early detection and timely management of patients. This study assessed the reliability and validity of the Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool (CIPNAT) in Korean women with breast cancer who were treated with chemotherapy.

METHODS

A psychometric analysis of the Korean version of CIPNAT was conducted with 207 patients with breast cancer who were treated with chemotherapy. Patients were assessed using the CIPNAT and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy-20 (CIPN-20). Analyses of internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity, and construct validity (based on structural and discriminant validity testing) were performed to evaluate the psychometric properties.

RESULTS

The Korean version of the CIPNAT had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.95; the item-total correlation coefficients ranged 0.34-0.76). The CIPNAT and CIPN-20 were moderately correlated (r = .67). Confirmatory factor analyses showed a four-factor structural model with acceptable model fit indices. Discriminant validity was supported by differences between individuals treated with and without taxane-based chemotherapy (p < .001).

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The Korean version of the CIPNAT was a valid and reliable screening tool for identification of CIPN symptoms and functional interference in Korean women who received chemotherapy for breast cancer. The instrument can be useful for the timely and routine assessment of CIPN symptoms and functional limitations of patients with cancer by oncology nurses.

Application Potential of Plant-Derived Medicines in Prevention and Treatment of Platinum-Induced Peripheral Neurotoxicity

As observed with other chemotherapeutic agents, the clinical application of platinum agents is a double-edged sword. Platinum-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) is a common adverse event that negatively affects clinical outcomes and patients’ quality of life. Considering the unavailability of effective established agents for preventing or treating PIPN and the increasing population of cancer survivors, the identification and development of novel, effective interventions are the need of the hour. Plant-derived medicines, recognized as ideal agents, can not only help improve PIPN without affecting chemotherapy efficacy, but may also produce synergy. In this review, we present a brief summary of the mechanisms of platinum agents and PIPN and then focus on exploring the preventive or curative effects and underlying mechanisms of plant-derived medicines, which have been evaluated under platinum-induced neurotoxicity conditions. We identified 11 plant extracts as well as 17 plant secondary metabolites, and four polyherbal preparations. Their effects against PIPN are focused on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, glial activation and inflammation response, and ion channel dysfunction. Also, ten clinical trials have assessed the effect of herbal products in patients with PIPN. The understanding of the molecular mechanism is still limited, the quality of clinical trials need to be further improved, and in terms of their efficacy, safety, and cost effectiveness studies have not provided sufficient evidence to establish a standard practice. But plant-derived medicines have been found to be invaluable sources for the development of natural agents with beneficial effects in the prevention and treatment of PIPN.

Emerging Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Therapeutics for Prevention and Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Simple Summary

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common and persistent complication of commonly used chemotherapy drugs. This article provides an overview of emerging therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of CIPN and focuses on pharmacological strategies that are derived from novel mechanistic insights and have the potential to be translated into clinically beneficial approaches. It is our contention to call for fostering collaboration between basic and clinical researchers to improve the development of effective strategies.

Abstract

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse event of several first-line chemotherapeutic agents, including platinum compounds, taxanes, vinca alkaloids, thalidomide, and bortezomib, which negatively affects the quality of life and clinical outcome. Given the dearth of effective established agents for preventing or treating CIPN, and the increasing number of cancer survivors, there is an urgent need for the identification and development of new, effective intervention strategies that can prevent or mitigate this debilitating side effect. Prior failures in the development of effective interventions have been due, at least in part, to a lack of mechanistic understanding of CIPN and problems in translating this mechanistic understanding into testable hypotheses in rationally-designed clinical trials. Recent progress has been made, however, in the pathogenesis of CIPN and has provided new targets and pathways for the development of emerging therapeutics that can be explored clinically to improve the management of this debilitating toxicity. This review focuses on the emerging therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of CIPN, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies, and calls for fostering collaboration between basic and clinical researchers to improve the development of effective strategies.