Long-term chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy among breast cancer survivors: prevalence, risk factors, and fall risk
- PMID: 27510185
- PMCID: PMC5509538
- DOI: 10.1007/s10549-016-3939-0
Long-term chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy among breast cancer survivors: prevalence, risk factors, and fall risk
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common toxicity associated with chemotherapy, but researchers rarely study its risk factors, fall risk, and prevalence in long-term breast cancer survivors. We aimed to determine CIPN prevalence, risk factors, and association with psychological distress and falls among long-term breast cancer survivors. We conducted Cross-sectional analyses among postmenopausal women with a history of stage I-III breast cancer who received taxane-based chemotherapy. Participants reported neuropathic symptoms of tingling/numbness in hands and/or feet on a 0-10 numerical rating scale. We conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses to evaluate risk factors associated with the presence of CIPN and the relationship between CIPN and anxiety, depression, insomnia, and patient-reported falls. Among 296 participants, 173 (58.4 %) reported CIPN symptoms, 91 (30.7 %) rated their symptoms as mild, and 82 (27.7 %) rated them moderate to severe. Compared with women of normal weight, being obese was associated with increased risk of CIPN (adjusted OR 1.94, 95 % CI: 1.03-3.65). Patients with CIPN reported greater insomnia severity, anxiety, and depression than those without (all p < 0.05). Severity of CIPN was associated with higher rates of falls, with 23.8, 31.9, and 41.5 % in the "no CIPN," "mild," and "moderate-to-severe" groups, respectively, experiencing falls (p = 0.028). The majority of long-term breast cancer survivors who received taxane-based chemotherapy reported CIPN symptoms; obesity was a significant risk factor. Those with CIPN also reported increased psychological distress and falls. Interventions need to target CIPN and comorbid psychological symptoms, and incorporate fall prevention strategies for aging breast cancer survivors.
Keywords: Breast cancer; Chemotherapy; Falls; Obesity; Peripheral neuropathy.
Conflict of interest statement
Figures
Similar articles
-
The Association of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms and the Risk of Falling.JAMA Neurol. 2016 Jul 1;73(7):860-6. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.0383. JAMA Neurol. 2016. PMID: 27183099 Free PMC article.
-
Fall Risk Associated with Taxanes: Focus on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy.Semin Oncol Nurs. 2024 Aug;40(4):151687. doi: 10.1016/j.soncn.2024.151687. Epub 2024 Jul 15. Semin Oncol Nurs. 2024. PMID: 39013733 Clinical Trial.
-
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in newly diagnosed breast cancer survivors treated with taxane: a prospective longitudinal study.Support Care Cancer. 2021 Jun;29(6):2959-2971. doi: 10.1007/s00520-020-05796-0. Epub 2020 Oct 6. Support Care Cancer. 2021. PMID: 33025227
-
Metabolic and lifestyle risk factors for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in taxane and platinum-treated patients: a systematic review.J Cancer Surviv. 2023 Feb;17(1):222-236. doi: 10.1007/s11764-021-00988-x. Epub 2021 Jan 12. J Cancer Surviv. 2023. PMID: 33438175
-
Chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: living with neuropathy during and after cancer treatments.Ann Palliat Med. 2025 Mar;14(2):196-216. doi: 10.21037/apm-24-154. Ann Palliat Med. 2025. PMID: 40211744 Review.
Cited by
-
Mindfulness is associated with severity of peripheral neuropathy and related patient-reported outcomes among colorectal cancer patients.Support Care Cancer. 2022 Nov;30(11):9517-9526. doi: 10.1007/s00520-022-07340-8. Epub 2022 Aug 28. Support Care Cancer. 2022. PMID: 36030458 Free PMC article.
-
Role of Kinematics Assessment and Multimodal Sensorimotor Training for Motion Deficits in Breast Cancer Chemotherapy-Induced Polyneuropathy: A Perspective on Virtual Reality Avatars.Front Oncol. 2020 Aug 12;10:1419. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01419. eCollection 2020. Front Oncol. 2020. PMID: 32903366 Free PMC article.
-
Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: a meta-analysis.Support Care Cancer. 2021 Dec;29(12):7461-7469. doi: 10.1007/s00520-021-06321-7. Epub 2021 Jun 3. Support Care Cancer. 2021. PMID: 34085148 Free PMC article.
-
Persistent cancer-related fatigue after breast cancer treatment predicts postural sway and post-exertional changes in sit-to-stand strategy.Rehabil Oncol. 2022 Oct;40(4):162-171. doi: 10.1097/01.reo.0000000000000308. Epub 2022 Jun 28. Rehabil Oncol. 2022. PMID: 36212795 Free PMC article.
-
The impact of peripheral neuropathy symptoms, self-care ability, and disturbances to daily life on quality of life among gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: a cross-sectional survey.Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2022 Dec;28(4):296-306. doi: 10.4069/kjwhn.2022.11.21. Epub 2022 Dec 29. Korean J Women Health Nurs. 2022. PMID: 36617481 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Cavaletti G, Marmiroli P. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity. Nat Rev Neurol. 2010;6(12):657–66. - PubMed
-
- Miltenburg NC, Boogerd W. Chemotherapy-induced neuropathy: A comprehensive survey. Cancer Treat Rev. 2014;40(7):872–82. - PubMed
-
- Seretny M, et al. Incidence, prevalence, and predictors of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain. 2014;155(12):2461–70. - PubMed
-
- Hershman DL, et al. Association between patient reported outcomes and quantitative sensory tests for measuring long-term neurotoxicity in breast cancer survivors treated with adjuvant paclitaxel chemotherapy. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2011;125(3):767–74. - PubMed
-
- Eckhoff L, et al. Persistence of docetaxel-induced neuropathy and impact on quality of life among breast cancer survivors. Eur J Cancer. 2015;51(3):292–300. - PubMed
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical