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Citation
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Argyriou AA, Bruna J, Anastopoulou GG, Velasco R, Litsardopoulos P, Kalofonos HP. Support. Care Cancer 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Affiliation
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Department of Medicine-Division of Oncology, University Hospital, University of Patras Medical School, Rion, 26504, Patras, Greece. kalofonos@upatras.gr. |
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Abstract
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AIM: To identify the risk factors of falls in a well-characterized cohort of cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN).
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 122 cancer patients experiencing any grade of CIPN, following completion of different chemotherapeutic regimens for various non-hematological malignancies. The results of the clinical examination were summarized by means of the Total Neuropathy Score-clinical version (TNSc®). A neurophysiological examination was also carried out.
RESULTS: Among 122 patients, 21 (17.2%) of them reported falls. These were 7 males and 14 females with a mean age of 57.3 ± 8.1 years. All of them (21; 100%) had grade 3 CIPN, according to TNSc® with a median value of 15. Univariate analysis showed that the following variables were strongly associated with falls: TNSc® score of > 14 corresponding to grade 3 CIPN, evidence of motor impairment, evidence of sensory ataxia with positive Romberg sign, and decrease of sural a-SAP > 50% from the baseline value. Multivariate regression analysis failed to define independent predictors of falls. However, ROC analysis demonstrated that a discriminative TNSc® cutoff value of > 14 predicted falls with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 87%, whereas sensory ataxia predicted falls with a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 83%.
CONCLUSION: Grade 3 CIPN, as assessed with TNSc®, and evidence of sensory ataxia with a positive Romberg sign were strongly associated with an increased risk of falls. Although our results need further validation, the TNSc® scale appears to be a practical and easy tool for identifying patients at higher risk of falling.
Language: en |