What Is Peripheral Neuropathy and How Can It Be Prevented or Treated?

July 14, 2020
Brielle Gregory, ASCO staff

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published a new guideline on the prevention and management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy on July 14, 2020. Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves in your peripheral nervous system, which are all the nerves in your body that are not the brain and spinal cord. The brain and spinal cord belong to the central nervous system. Peripheral neuropathy can be caused by chemotherapy and most commonly occurs in the hands and feet.

In this podcast, Charles Loprinzi, MD, FASCO, who served as the co-chair and lead author for this guideline, discusses what patients who are expecting to receive, are currently receiving, or have already received chemotherapy should know about peripheral neuropathy.

  • What is peripheral neuropathy? [2:01]

  • Why is this guideline on peripheral neuropathy important for patients? [2:52]

  • What does ASCO recommend for preventing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy? [3:50]

  • What does ASCO recommend for treating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in people who are currently receiving chemotherapy? [5:15]

  • What does ASCO recommend for treating chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in people who have completed chemotherapy? [7:23]

Dr. Charles Loprinzi is the Regis Professor of Breast Cancer Research at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he is an emeritus chair of the division of medical oncology and an emeritus vice-chair of the department of oncology. Dr. Loprinzi is also the Cancer.Net Associate Editor for Psychosocial Oncology. You can view Dr. Loprinzi’s full disclosure statement in his bio, which is linked above.

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