Chemotherapy associated chronic peripheral neuropathy and the effect of the quality of life

ABSTRACT Objective: Peripheral neuropathy is common due to chemotherapy drugs based on taxane and platinum. In this descriptive study, we aimed to investigate the effects of peripheral neuropathy symptoms after treatment on the quality of life of functional limitations caused by these symptoms in chemotherapy-treated patients with taxane and platinum-based chemotherapy. Method: This study was conducted between June and November 2016 at the Medical Oncology Clinic of Akdeniz University Medical Faculty. Taxane and platinum-based chemotherapy were applied and 106 patients who were admitted to the outpatient clinic for the last two years were included in the study. In gathering the data; Patient identification form, EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 quality of life scales were used. Analysis of the data was done in SPSS 22.0 package program. Results: Of the patients evaluated in this study, 58.5% were female and the median age was 53.00 (range,21-77). In our study, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference in CIPN20 scale subscale according to sex, diagnosis stage, type of chemotherapy regimen and number of chemotherapy cures (p <0.05). The motor function scores of female patients, autonomic function scores of male patients, autonomic patients of patients receiving cisplatin, and sensory, 7-8 cycles of chemotherapy of stage II patients were significantly higher(p<0.01). There was a negative correlation between the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy and quality of life. Conclusion: Peripheral neuropathy symptoms and functional limitations of these symptoms persisted after treatment with taxane and platinum-based chemotherapy-treated patients, and the increase in neuropathy symptoms affected quality of life negatively. Key words: cancer, chemotherapy, peripheral neuropathy, quality of life