title: Survey of the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in Japan: Japanese Society of Medical Oncology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Various drugs are administered for the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in Japan. However, there have been no surveys undertaken to identify these drugs or their frequency of prescription. Therefore, we administered a questionnaire survey to the diplomates of the Subspecialty Board of Japanese Society of Medical Oncology (JSMO) to investigate the frequency of administration of different drugs for the management of CIPN in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the use of vitamin B12, antiepileptic agents such as pregabalin, duloxetine, antidepressants other than duloxetine, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), opioids and the Kampo compound goshajinkigan in a questionnaire employing a three-step scale wherein A implies routine or prophylactic administration, B implies occasional administration and C implies infrequent administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Considering responses A and B together, the most frequently administered drugs for the treatment of numbness were antiepileptic drugs such as pregabalin (A+B=98.7%), vitamin B12(74.7%), Kampo compounds (58.7%) and duloxetine (46.8%). The most frequently prescribed drugs for pain were NSAIDs (97.7%), followed by opioids (83.1%) and finally antiepileptic drugs (82.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Various drugs are frequently administered for CIPN. In addition, it was found that marked differences exist between the drugs targeted on numbness and pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology Oncology , Higashi Sapporo Hospital , Sapporo, Hokkaido , Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Oncology, Department of Comprehensive Medicine , Research and Development Center for New Medical Frontiers, Kitasato University School of Medicine , Sagamihara, Kanagawa , Japan.
authors.forename: Jiichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology , Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine , Sapporo, Hokkaido , Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dosaka-Akita
authors.affiliation: Division of Palliative Care , Higashi Sapporo Hospital , Sapporo , Japan.
authors.forename: Kunihiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishitani
keywords: CIPN; chemotherapy; guideline; neuropathy; questionnaire