Prevalence and predictive factors of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients: A cross-sectional single-center study in Pakistan

Abstract

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a debilitating pain condition resulting from cancer treatment and is known to be associated with a decrease in health-related quality of life. This single-center cross-sectional study, conducted at Institute of Nuclear Medicine Oncology and Radiotherapy (INOR), Abbottabad, Pakistan, assessed the prevalence and severity of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and its impact on quality of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Patients completed the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ–C30 and QLQ–CIPN20 questionnaires. Subscales are scored from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity. A total of 154 patients participated, with a mean age of 48.57 years (SD 14.22); 33.8% were male and 66.2% were female. The prevalence of sensory CIPN was 36.4%. The mean scores for the sensory, motor, and autonomic subscales of the QLQ–CIPN20 were 23.2 (SD 19.1), 16.6 (SD 15.8), and 14.8 (SD 17.2), respectively. CIPN symptom severity was negatively correlated with global health status/quality of life and physical, role, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning. There was no significant association with age, sex, body surface area, height, weight, or type of chemotherapeutic agent used. However, symptom severity increased with the number of treatment cycles completed (e.g., sensory, p = 0.003). CIPN was prevalent in this healthcare center and significantly impacted function and quality of life. These findings highlight the importance of developing strategies to mitigate CIPN and the need for routine screening of CIPN.