Evaluating Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Gastroesophageal Cancer

For patients with gastroesophageal cancer, chemotherapy is often neurotoxic, with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) negatively affecting health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

A study from Merel J.M. van Velzen, MD, and colleagues published in JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network investigated the frequency and severity of CIPN and its potential connection to HRQOL in patients with gastroesophageal cancer.

Researchers evaluated the data of patients who underwent chemoradiotherapy or chemotherapy as a treatment for gastroesophageal cancer found in the Netherlands Cancer Registry. They also collected patient-reported data from the Prospective Observational Cohort Study of Esophageal-Gastric Cancer Patients at baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after treatment initiation.

Of the 2135 participants, 1593 received chemoradiotherapy, 295 received chemotherapy with curative intent, and 247 underwent palliative chemotherapy.

Across the 3 treatment cohorts, CIPN significantly increased during treatment. The adjusted mean score of CIPN at 6 months was 8.3 for the chemoradiotherapy group, 16.0 for chemotherapy with curative intent, and 25.4 for palliative chemotherapy. Investigators noted that the adjusted mean score continued to increase following treatment for the chemoradiotherapy cohort.

For the chemotherapy with curative intent and palliative chemotherapy groups, the adjusted mean score of CIPN dropped following treatment but did not reach baseline values. Researchers noted that CIPN was negatively connected to HRQOL across all therapy groups, with the significance and strength of the connection changing over time.

“Because of the poor prognosis of gastroesophageal cancer, it is essential to consider side effects of [neurotoxic] treatment,” the investigators wrote. “The high prevalence and association with HRQOL indicate the need for early recognition of CIPN.”