Charles Loprinzi on Potential Treatments for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Article

Charles Loprinzi, MD, Giant of Cancer Care: Supportive/Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, discusses potential treatments for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

Charles Loprinzi, MD, Giant of Cancer Care: Supportive/Palliative Care, Mayo Clinic, discusses potential treatments for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

Duloxetine has demonstrated benefits in managing CIPN in clinical trials, but Loprinzi adds that the benefits are not great and the drug is associated with some toxicities. 

Loprinzi says minocycline, which is commonly used to treat acne, has promising preclinical data in preventing neuropathy. Pilot studies for the drug are ongoing. 

Another method being tested for the treatment of CIPN is Scrambler therapy, in which electrodes are placed on the skin in areas around sites of pain. Electrical signals send non-pain messages to areas that are interpreting chronic pain, such as that caused by neuropathy. This therapy has not been proven effective in treating CIPN, but Loprinzi says that he is convinced it can help a number of patients in this population. 

Newsletter

Stay up to date on recent advances in oncology nursing and patient care.

Recent Videos
Photo of a woman with brown hair and a floral blouse
Photo of a woman with a blue border around the image
2 experts are featured in this series.
2 experts are featured in this series.
Image of a woman with gray hair and glasses in front of a blue Oncology Nursing News background
Photo of a woman with blond wavy hair wearing a blazer in front of a blue Oncology Nursing News background
Photo of a woman with shoulder-length blond hair in front of an Oncology Nursing News backdrop
Image of a woman with white hair in front of an Oncology Nursing News blue background
2 experts are featured in this series.
Image of a man in a suit standing in front of a blue Oncology Nursing News backdrop
Related Content