856 - A Longitudinal Tracking and Quantitative Assessment of Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neurotoxicity

Background

Assessment of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) usually depends on subjective grading scales, such as the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE). We previously validated a newly developed point-of-care nerve conduction device (POCD) for the objective and quantitative assessment of CIPN. The present study used this POCD to prospectively track the natural history of paclitaxel (PTX)-related CIPN.

Methods

Sural nerve amplitude potentials (SNAP, μV), a quantitative measure of axonal degeneration, and sural nerve conduction velocity (SNCV, m/s), a quantitative measure of the degree of demyelination, were evaluated using a portable, automated POCD (DPN-Check^®, Neurometrix Inc., Waltham, MA, USA) in patients with breast cancer scheduled to receive 12 cycles of adjuvant or neoadjuvant weekly PTX, at baseline, after every 2 cycles of PTX (on the first day of the 3^rd, 5^th, 7^th, 11^th cycles), and within 1 month after the 12^th cycle of PTX. The severity of CIPN was also evaluated according to the CTCAE, version 4.0.

Results

55 patients completed 12 cycles of PTX (median age 51 years, range 32-74; adjuvant/neoadjuvant = 40/15; worst CTCAE G1/G2/G3 = 32/16/7). A total of 49 patients received dose-dense EC (epirubicin + cyclophosphamide) before PTX, and 18 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer received trastuzumab concurrently with PTX. SNAP decreased significantly during each cycle of chemotherapy (repeated ANOVA, P < 0.001), whereas there was no significant change in SNCV (Table). The total sum of SNAP (mean±SD) was 91.7±30.6 in G1, 70.5±30.0 in G2, and 41.4±13.1 in G3. The total sum of SNCV (mean±SD) was 393.5±34.0 in G1, 381.4±39.5 in G2, and 370.1±45.3 in G3. The total SNAP differed significantly according to each CTCAE grade (ANOVA, P < 0.001), whereas the total SNCV did not.Table:

1801P Longitudinal tracking of SNAP and SNCV among 55 patients (mean±SD)

Conclusions

This POCD demonstrated SNAP-dominant neuropathy in patients who received PTX, suggesting axonal degeneration as a mechanism of CIPN.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

Y. Ando: Honoraria (self): Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Honoraria (self): Sawai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.; Research grant / Funding (self): Mochida Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd.; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (self): Nippon Kayaku Co.,Ltd.; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (self): Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.