title: Objective evaluation of the alleviating effects of Goshajinkigan on peripheral neuropathy induced by paclitaxel/carboplatin therapy: A multicenter collaborative study.
abstract: Paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy for cancer (TC therapy) exhibits neurotoxicity and causes peripheral neuropathy at a high frequency, which is difficult to cope with. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of Goshajinkigan, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, for TC therapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The subjects included in our study were patients with ovarian or endometrial cancer who underwent TC therapy and developed peripheral neuropathy. The patients were randomly divided into Group A, comprising of 14 patients (vitamin B12 treatment), and Group B, comprising of 15 patients (vitamin B12 + Goshajinkigan treatment). The observation period was 6 weeks following treatment initiation, and the evaluation items were as follows: i) the current perception threshold (CPT value) of the peripheral nerve, ii) visual analogue scale for numbness, iii) National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v3.0 grade of neurotoxicity, and iv) a questionnaire on the subjective symptoms of peripheral neuropathy (functional assessment of cancer therapy-taxane). These were compared between the groups and no significant differences were noted in any item. However, CTCAE grade 3 neurotoxicity developed in 2 patients (14.3%) after 6 weeks of administration in Group A, whereas no neurotoxicity was observed in Group B. When the change in the frequency of abnormal CPT ratio at 6 weeks of administration from that before treatment was compared between the groups, the frequency of abnormal value was significantly lower in Group B than in Group A (p<0.05). This suggests that Goshajinkigan inhibits the progression of peripheral neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Iwate Medical University, Iwate 020-8505;
authors.forename: Hiroi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaku
authors.forename: Seisuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Onoue
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Tadahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shoji
authors.forename: Fumiharu
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yoshizaki
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Junzo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kigawa
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Shinpei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsunoda
authors.forename: Eiichiro
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama