Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of treatment with taxanes and platinum-based drugs, significantly impacting the quality of life of oncology patients. Symptoms such as reduced sensitivity and pain may persist even after treatment ends. Research has shown that compression therapy using gloves and stockings effectively reduces the incidence of CIPN, improves patient adherence to treatment, and has no severe side effects. A study at the Chemotherapy Unit of the Comprehensive Oncology Care Clinic, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, will investigate the efficacy of this therapy. Tight-fitting gloves and compression stockings will be used to limit the flow of cytotoxic agents to peripheral areas. Effectiveness will be assessed through quality-of-life questionnaires, hand strength and coordination tests, and laboratory analyses to identify predictive markers of neuropathy. The study aims to enhance CIPN prevention and integrate this method into clinical practice.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
100
Compression therapy will be applied using surgical gloves and compression knee socks. The compression itself will take place on the principle of compressing the limbs, which will narrow the blood vessels and thereby limit the flow of cytostatics to the peripheral parts of the body. This is believed to reduce damage to nerve fibers. Special knee socks with compression of 20-30 mm Hg and latex/nitrile surgical gloves will be used for pressure therapy. The size of the compression aids will be determined by the nursing staff (gloves will be a tight-fitting size; they will not cause discomfort). The patients will wear the compression aids for a specific amount of time before administering paclitaxel, throughout paclitaxel infusion, and after the infusion.
Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute
Brno, Czechia
RECRUITINGChanges in reported EORTC QLQ CIPN20 subscales
The preventive effect of compression therapy will be evaluated based on changes reported in a survey, using self-reported neuropathy assessed with EORTC QLQ-CIPN 20, which contains 20 items divided into three subscales assessing sensory, motor, and autonomic symptoms. Each item is scored on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). Scores will be converted to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores representing more higher scores represent more symptoms/problems.
Time frame: Before paclitaxel course (baseline) and completion paclitaxel course (standardly 12 weeks)
Changes in reported EORTC QLQ-C30 subscales
QoL will be assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30, which contains 30 items. Each item is scored on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much), except for the global QoL scale that ranges from 1 (very poor) to 7 (excellent). The item will be transformed into a global health status (GHS) scale, five functional scales (physical, role, emotional, cognitive, and social), three symptom scales (fatigue, pain, and nausea-vomiting), and six single-item symptom items (dyspnea, insomnia, appetite loss, constipation, diarrhea, and financial difficulties). Scores will be converted to a 0-100 scale. Higher numerical scores on functional scales or the GHS scale indicate better QoL, while higher scores on symptom scales/items reflect a greater level of symptoms or problems.
Time frame: Before paclitaxel course (baseline), after the sixth cycle of paclitaxel (standardly 6 weeks), after completion paclitaxel course (standardly 12 weeks) and six months after completition paclitaxel course
Changes in reported EORTC QLQ CIPN20 subscales
The preventive effect of compression therapy will be evaluated based on changes reported in a survey, using self-reported neuropathy assessed with EORTC QLQ-CIPN 20, which contains 20 items divided into three subscales assessing sensory, motor, and autonomic symptoms. Each item is scored on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). Scores will be converted to a 0-100 scale, with higher scores representing more higher scores represent more symptoms/problems.
Time frame: Before paclitaxel course (baseline), after the sixth cycle of paclitaxel (standardly 6 weeks), after completion paclitaxel course (standardly 12 weeks) and six months after completition paclitaxel course
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