Electrotherapy as treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy — a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundElectrotherapy has been investigated in chronic pain and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, however prospective trials in patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) are scarce.MethodsFifty-one patients with CIPN ≥ grade 1 subsequent to receiving platinum- and/or taxane-ba...

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Main Authors: Robert Sassmann, Simon Peter Gampenrieder, Florian Rieder, Tim Johansson, Gabriel Rinnerthaler, Vanessa Castagnaviz, Kathrin Lampl, Jürgen Herfert, Yvonne Theres Kienberger, Maria Flamm, Dagmar Schaffler-Schaden, Richard Greil
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2024-12-01
Series:Frontiers in Neurology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2024.1451456/full
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Summary:BackgroundElectrotherapy has been investigated in chronic pain and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, however prospective trials in patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) are scarce.MethodsFifty-one patients with CIPN ≥ grade 1 subsequent to receiving platinum- and/or taxane-based chemotherapy types were randomized to 8 weeks of high tone external muscle stimulation (HTEMS) or transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). The primary outcome were changes in the EORTC-QLQ-CIPN20 questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included clinical examinations, a classification of CIPN according to CTCAE v 4 and the EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire. A control group (n = 17) receiving no intervention was recruited retrospectively.ResultsThe EORTC-QLQ-CIPN20 sensory and motor scales improved in both intervention groups (TENS: −12.3pts and − 8.2pts; HTEMS: −14.7pts and − 8.2pts) with no significant changes in the control group −3.3pts; −2.8pts. The changes in the sensory scale differed significantly between the HTEMS and the control group. In the EORTC-QLQ-C30 questionnaire, there was a significant improvement for physical functioning in the HTEMS group only (+7.9pts) with no between group differences. CIPN classification according to CTCAE v4 improved significantly in both intervention groups.ConclusionHome-based electrotherapy with HTEMS or TENS were successful in improving CIPN-related sensory impairment and could therefore provide a powerful treatment for this side-effect of chemotherapy.Clinical trial registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03978585
ISSN:1664-2295