PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Eran Ben-Arye
AU  - Yaron River
AU  - Yael Keshet
AU  - Ofer Lavie
AU  - Pesi Israeli
AU  - Noah Samuels
TI  - Effect of a Complementary/Integrative Medicine Treatment Program on Taxane-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Brief Report
AID  - 10.1097/IGC.0000000000001246
DP  - 2018 Jun 01
TA  - International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer
PG  - 1045--1049
VI  - 28
IP  - 5
4099  - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/28/5/1045.short
4100  - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/28/5/1045.full
SO  - Int J Gynecol Cancer2018 Jun 01; 28
AB  - Objective Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication of cancer treatment impairing quality of life and function. This study explored the impact of a complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) program on taxane-induced peripheral neuropathy (TIPN).Materials and Methods Taxane-treated female patients with breast and gynecological cancer reporting TIPN-related symptoms were referred to an integrative physician, followed by patient-tailored CIM treatments (acupuncture with/without other modalities). Assessment of study outcomes at 6 to 12 weeks was conducted using the Measure Yourself Concerns and Wellbeing, which documented free-text narratives about patients’ experience during the CIM treatment process. Content was analyzed using ATLAS.Ti software.Results Of the 125 patients treated with taxanes, 69 had been referred for CIM treatment of TIPN-associated symptoms. Multidisciplinary narrative analysis identified 2 groups of CIM-treated patients: those with an apparently moderate improvement in symptoms (n = 35) and those with either only an apparent mild or no improvement at all. For 10 patients, assessment of their response to treatment was unclear. The 2 identified groups had similar demographic, cancer-related, and quality of life–related parameters at baseline. Content analysis of patients with an apparent moderate improvement suggested a short-term (24–48 hours) effect with acupuncture treatment, either alone or combined with manual, mind-body, and anthroposophic music therapies. Symptoms showing improvement included paresthesia and numbness.Conclusions Acupuncture and other CIM therapies may result in a short-term and transitory reduction in TIPN-related symptoms.