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Review
. 2015 Oct 23:6:234.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2015.00234. eCollection 2015.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity and complementary and alternative medicines: progress and perspective

Xiao L Cheng  1 , Hong Q Liu  2 , Qi Wang  3 , Jie G Huo  2 , Xiao N Wang  2 , Peng Cao  1
Affiliations
Review

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity and complementary and alternative medicines: progress and perspective

Xiao L Cheng et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a severe and dose-limiting side effect of antineoplastic drugs. It can cause sensory, motor and autonomic system dysfunction, and ultimately force patients to discontinue chemotherapy. Until now, little is understood about CIPN and no consistent caring standard is available. Since CIPN is a multifactorial disease, the clinical efficacy of single pharmacological drugs is disappointing, prompting patients to seek alternative treatment options. Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs), especially herbal medicines, are well known for their multifaceted implications and widely used in human health care. Up to date, several phytochemicals, plant extractions, and herbal formulas have been evaluated for their potential therapeutic benefit of preventing the onset and progression of CIPN in experimental models. Clinical acupuncture has also been shown to improve CIPN symptoms. In this review, we will give an outline of our current knowledge regrading the advanced research of CIPN, the role of CAMs in alleviating CIPN and possible lacunae in research that needs to be addressed.

Keywords: Pathogenesis; acupuncture; chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity; complementary and alternative medicine; herbal medicine.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Summary of the mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) and experimental evidence-based applications of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) for its prevention or treatment. All the icons in this figure were obtained from http://image.baidu.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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