The Total Neuropathy Score as an assessment tool for grading the course of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity: comparison with the National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Scale.
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a major side effect of several antineoplastic drugs. However, despite its clinical importance, there is no agreement as to the best way to assess the severity and changes in CIPN. We have previously demonstrated a correlation between the severity of CIPN, assessed using the Total Neuropathy Score (TNS) or its reduced versions, and several common toxicity scales. In this study, we investigated two series of patients (total number = 173) who were evaluated at baseline and during chemotherapy with the TNS (n= 122) or the TNSc (the TNS version based exclusively on the clinical evaluation of the patients, n= 51) and with the National Cancer Institute-Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI-CTC) 2.0, with the aim of comparing the sensitivity to the changes in CIPN severity. In both series, the TNS and the TNSc had a significant correlation with the NCI-CTC in scoring the severity of CIPN, confirming the results of previous studies. Moreover, both the TNS and the TNSc showed a higher sensitivity to CIPN changes. We, therefore, propose the TNSc as a reliable method for assessing not only the severity but also the changes in CIPN.
Cavaletti
Guido
G
Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Tecnologie Biomediche, Università di Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy. guido.cavaletti@unimib.it
Frigeni
Barbara
B
Lanzani
Francesca
F
Piatti
Marialuisa
M
Rota
Stefania
S
Briani
Chiara
C
Zara
Gabriella
G
Plasmati
Rosaria
R
Pastorelli
Francesca
F
Caraceni
Augusto
A
Pace
Andrea
A
Manicone
Mariagrazia
M
Lissoni
Andrea
A
Colombo
Nicoletta
N
Bianchi
Giulia
G
Zanna
Claudio
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents