@article{ref1,
title="Assessing risk factors of falls in cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity",
journal="Supportive care in cancer",
year="2019",
author="Argyriou, Andreas A. and Bruna, Jordi and Anastopoulou, Garifallia G. and Velasco, Roser and Litsardopoulos, Pantelis and Kalofonos, Haralabos P.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="AIM: To identify the risk factors of falls in a well-characterized cohort of cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN). <br><br>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. <br><br>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%. <br><br>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.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0941-4355",
doi="10.1007/s00520-019-05023-5",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-05023-5"
}