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Quality of Life Research

, Volume 26, Issue 10, pp 2763–2772 | Cite as

The prevalence and pattern of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy among women with breast cancer receiving care in a large community oncology practice

  • Natalie B. SimonEmail author
  • Michael A. Danso
  • Thomas A. Alberico
  • Ethan Basch
  • Antonia V. Bennett
Article
First Online:

Abstract

Purpose

To describe the prevalence, severity, and risk factors of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and its impact on function and quality of life (QOL) among women treated for breast cancer in a large U.S. Community Oncology practice.

Methods

Women previously treated with taxane-based chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer completed the EORTC QLQ–C30, QLQ–BR23, and QLQ–CIPN20. Subscales are scored 0–100; higher scores indicate greater symptom severity. Pre-specified hypotheses were tested.

Results

126 women with mean age 56.7 years (SD 11.8) were stage I–II (79.4%) or stage III (20.6%) at the time of the survey; 65.1% were White and 27.8% were Black or African American. The mean time since last taxane chemotherapy cycle was 144.9 weeks (SD 112.9). 73.0% reported having CIPN. QLQ–CIPN20 mean scores for the sensory, motor, and autonomic subscales were 18.9 (SD 23.1), 18.6 (SD 18.7), and 17.1 (SD 21.8), respectively. CIPN symptom severity was negatively correlated with global health status/QOL and physical and role functioning (range of r = −0.46 to −0.72). It was not associated with age, body mass index, diabetes, or cumulative taxane dosage, but was greater for Black or African American women (e.g., sensory, p < 0.002). CIPN sensory impairment was marginally greater for patients treated with paclitaxel compared to docetaxel (p < 0.064).

Conclusions

CIPN was prevalent in this community oncology practice and significantly impacts function and QOL. These data highlight the importance of developing methods to mitigate CIPN, and for screening for CIPN particularly among Black or African American women.

Keywords

Breast cancer Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy Community practice Disparities Quality of life EORTC QLQ–C30 Treatment toxicity 
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Notes

Funding

This study was not funded.

Compliance with ethical standards

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Statement of Human Rights

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing AG 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Natalie B. Simon
    • 1
    Email author
  • Michael A. Danso
    • 2
  • Thomas A. Alberico
    • 3
  • Ethan Basch
    • 4
  • Antonia V. Bennett
    • 5
  1. 1.College of Arts and SciencesUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUSA
  2. 2.Department of Medical Oncology and HematologyVirginia Oncology AssociatesNorfolkUSA
  3. 3.Department of Stem Cell Transplant, Medical Oncology, and HematologyVirginia Oncology AssociatesNorfolkUSA
  4. 4.Department of MedicineUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillUSA
  5. 5.Department of Health Policy and ManagementUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillUSA

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