title: Neuropathic Symptoms and Their Risk Factors in Medical Oncology Outpatients With Colorectal vs. Breast, Lung, or Prostate Cancer: Results From a Prospective Multicenter Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have examined the prevalence and severity of treatment-induced neuropathic symptoms in patients across different cancer types.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to report the prevalence of numbness/tingling (N/T) and neuropathic pain in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) vs. other cancers, describe the prevalence of moderate-to-severe N/T by specific clinical variables, and examine factors associated with the presence of these symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 3106 outpatients with colorectal (n = 718), breast (n = 1544), lung (n = 524), or prostate (n = 320) cancer were enrolled at any point in their treatment. Assessments were conducted at the initial visit and 28-35 days later. Patients reported pain and N/T; clinicians reported mechanism of pain and ranked the top three symptoms causing difficulties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Moderate-to-severe N/T was higher in patients with CRC relative to other cancer types (25.8% vs. 17.1%, P < 0.001); 25% vs. 10.5% of clinicians rated N/T as a top three symptom for patients with CRC relative to other cancers (P < 0.001). The prevalence of neuropathic pain was comparable between patients with CRC and other cancers (P = 0.654). Patients with CRC, longer duration of cancer, prior therapy, on current therapy, older patients, and patients of black race experienced worse N/T.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with CRC experience significantly higher rates of N/T but comparable neuropathic pain, relative to patients with other cancers. Awareness of the prevalence and severity of neuropathic symptoms and their associated risk factors in this patient population is critical for both clinicians and patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Fengmin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of General Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA. Electronic address: djones1@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Desiree
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Breast and Oncology Departments, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Charles L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Loprinzi
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brell
authors.affiliation: Marshfield Clinic, Marshfield, Wisconsin, USA.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Department of General Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Fisch
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Colorectal cancer; neuropathic pain; neuropathy; numbness/tingling; oxaliplatin