SENSE Study: Remote Symptom Monitoring for Patients With Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Overview

The main purpose of this study is to determine the threshold level of lower extremity CIPN symptoms that put patients who have been prescribed a neurotoxic chemotherapy agent (e.g., paclitaxel, docetaxel, oxaliplatin or cisplatin) as part of their treatment regimen for cancer at-risk for falling. The investigators believe that by specifying early CIPN symptoms that predict fall-risk, The investigators will ultimately be able to identify at-risk patients who could be referred to rehabilitative services to prevent injurious falls while enabling them to continue the chemotherapy treatment that could save their lives.

Patients who are treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy as part of their cancer treatment regimen often experience lower extremity chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) that causes motor and sensory loss, which increases their fall risk. CIPN is a potential side-effect of many chemotherapy regimens used to treat the most common adult cancers. In fact, CIPN occurs in as many as 90% of cancer patients whose chemotherapy includes taxanes, vinca alkaloids, or platinum agents. The symptoms of CIPN affect balance, which may put patients at-risk for falls. While much of the research in this area pertains to participants with long-standing CIPN symptoms, most authorities explicitly advocate for early monitoring for symptoms of CIPN and for earlier intervention than is currently the standard of care. However, there is little scientific literature that specifies (1) when in patients' chemotherapy regimens these symptoms typically first reach a significant CIPN or fall/near fall symptom threshold, and (2) how to best systematically track symptom emergence. Further, there are no evidence-informed best practices for early identification of CIPN symptoms and grading of severity, nor is there clear information about early time-points for symptom emergence that could inform when clinicians should begin to pay attention to patients' fall risk. To address this, a team of expert clinicians and researchers from Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute (CKRI) and Allina Health Cancer Institute (AHCI) will use a mobile survey system to track the emergence of CIPN symptoms and fall risk over the course of patients' chemotherapy.