What drugs are most likely to cause chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy?

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Chemotherapy induced neuropathy

Certain chemo drugs are more likely to cause CIPN. Some of the more common ones include:

You are just recovering from the shock from being diagnosed for cancer. Your physician tells you the good news that with today’s modern treatment that your survivability and chance to enjoy a long life are very high. You endure the challenges of treatment and are cancer free, but now have chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy from certain chemo drugs. Can you do anything to prevent or reduce the impact of CIPN?

  • Platinum drugs like cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin
  • Taxanes, including paclitaxel (Taxol®), docetaxel (Taxotere®), and cabazitaxel (Jevtana®)
  • Plant alkaloids, such as vinblastine, vincristine, vinorelbine, and etoposide (VP-16)
  • Immunomodulating drugs (IMiDs), like thalidomide (Thalomid®), lenalidomide (Revlimid®), and pomalidomide (Pomalyst®)
  • Proteasome inhibitors, such as bortezomib (Velcade®), carfilzomib (Kyprolis®), and ixazomib (Ninlaro)

If you are motivated to try to prevent or reduce the damage to your nerves. There are some treatments such as acupuncture and nutritional supplements that could potentially help. Nutronco has developed PowerOnco, a nutritional supplement to address the many negative side effects from treatment including nerve damage. PowerNerve is a specific nutritional supplement for nerve pain and uses ingredients that have shown good results.

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Chemotherapy Neuropathy

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If you have been diagnosed with cancer, the shock and the unknown can be overwhelming. Who has time to think about peripheral neuropathy? There are specific chemotherapy modules that have a high percentage of triggering this horrible damage to your nerves. So many cancer patients have a great chance at beating cancer, but then they wake up with peripheral neuropathy for the rest of their lives which for some can be debilitating if not addressed properly.

Peripheral neuropathy is a set of symptoms caused by damage to the nerves that are outside the brain and spinal cord. These distant nerves are called peripheral nerves. They carry sensations (a feeling in different parts of your body) to the brain and control the movement of our arms and legs. They also control the bladder and bowel.

If you have peripheral neuropathy, you may notice some of these sensations in your hands or feet:

  • Tingling (or a “pins and needles” feeling)
  • Burning or warm feeling
  • Numbness
  • Weakness
  • Discomfort or pain
  • Less ability to feel hot and cold
  • Cramps (in your feet)
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How radiation therapy for breast cancer patients can impact their immune system?

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Local radiation therapy for breast cancer, which treats the area where the cancer was found, doesn’t usually make a major impact on the immune system. Radiation treatments can irritate the skin, causing small breaks that could allow bacteria and germs to enter. Talk to your doctor about how best to care for your skin. For more information, visit the Managing Skin Side Effects page in the Radiation Therapy section.

If you have radiation therapy to the underarm area, where lymph nodes are, there can be some scar tissue formation that damages the lymph nodes and vessels. This can contribute to a longer-term risk of infection in the arm, hand, and upper body, especially if you also had lymph nodes removed. Infection in these areas can lead to a condition called lymphedema, in which lymph fluid collects in the hand, arm, or other area, causing swelling and pain. Read more about ways to reduce the risk of lymphedema.

Radiation is more likely to weaken your immune system if it’s directed at the bones, especially the bones in your pelvis, where the marrow functions as a blood cell factory. Some women with metastatic breast cancer need to have this type of radiation. With bone radiation, the effect on the immune system can be similar to that of chemotherapy. In this situation, you could experience a low white blood cell count and even neutropenia. Your doctor may order complete blood cell counts to check on your white blood cells levels. If levels are too low, he or she may need to adjust your treatment and/or prescribe medications that stimulate white blood cell production.

Source: BreastCancer.org

https://www.breastcancer.org/tips/immune/cancer/radiation

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