Electronic von Frey as an objective assessment tool for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy: A prospective...

There is wide discrepancy on how to perform clinical assessment of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. In this scenario, the Electronic von Frey (EVF), which evaluates pain objectively based upon mechanical pain thresholds (MPTs), may be a valuable tool. The present study aims to quantify hyperalgesia in the hands and feet of patients treated with oxaliplatin and to propose a novel method to classify the degree of neurotoxicity using EVF-derived measures as cut-off points.

This is a prospective cohort study including 46 patients treated for colorectal cancer with the FLOX regimen. Before each oxaliplatin administration, patients were evaluated with the Acute and Chronic Neuropathy Questionnaire, Oxaliplatin-Specific Neurotoxicity Scale and National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events scale. Also, objective pain assessment with the EVF was performed.

For both upper and lower extremities, EVF was shown to correlate well with patients' symptoms and functional impairment, as assessed by subjective scales. Also, when cut-off MPT variations were determined for diagnosis of neurotoxicity grade 2 or 3, the method showed good sensitivity and specificity.

Electronic von Frey is a noninvasive and easy-to-perform objective method with potential to supplement the current assessment tools for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy, which are mostly subjective.