Long-term neuropathy after oxaliplatin treatment: challenging the dictum of reversibility.

OBJECTIVES

Oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy is a significant and dose-limiting toxicity that adversely affects quality of life. However, the long-term neurological sequelae have not been adequately described. The present study aimed to describe the natural history of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy, using subjective and objective assessments.

METHODS

From a population of 108 oxaliplatin-treated patients referred for neurological assessment in 2002-2008, 52.2% of the surviving patient cohort (n = 24) was available for follow-up at a median of 25 months post-oxaliplatin. Patients underwent a protocol that incorporated clinical assessment scales, patient questionnaires, standard electrodiagnostic assessments, and novel nerve excitability studies to precisely assess nerve function.

RESULTS

At follow-up, 79.2% of patients reported residual neuropathic symptoms, with distal loss of pin-prick sensibility in 58.3% of patients and loss of vibration sensibility in 83.3% of patients. Symptom severity scores were significantly correlated with cumulative dose. There was no recovery of sensory action potential amplitudes in upper and lower limbs, consistent with persistent axonal sensory neuropathy. Sensory excitability parameters had not returned to baseline levels, suggesting persisting abnormalities in nerve function. The extent of excitability abnormalities during treatment was significantly correlated with clinical outcomes at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings establish the persistence of subjective and objective deficits in oxaliplatin-treated patients post-oxaliplatin, suggesting that sensory neuropathy is a long-term outcome, thereby challenging the literature on the reversibility of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy.