Assessment of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and its Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life among Various Cancer Patients

Background: Cancer patients' Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) could be substantially impaired by Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN). Hence, the present study is aimed to assess the prevalence of CIPN and its influence on HRQOL among various cancer patients. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective observational cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Medical Oncology, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (DU) from Jan 2023 to July 2023. A total of 125 patients treated with various chemotherapeutic drugs were included as per inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were evaluated for CIPN using a validated Self-Administered Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs (SLANSS) questionnaire and the health-related quality of life was evaluated by using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (EORTC-CIPN20) questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy was found to be 12%. Patients receiving chemotherapy experienced a significantly higher number of peripheral neuropathy-related complaints (p<0.001). Overall, the patients expressed that peripheral neuropathy had a detrimental impact on their quality of life, particularly with sensory and motor functions. Conclusion: Chemotherapeutic drug has the potential to cause the adverse effect of peripheral neuropathy. Particularly, antimetabolites and platinum derivative combination had reported a higher incidence of peripheral neuropathy (94.7%). Consequently, it has a detrimental impact on the health-related quality of life among cancer patients.