Treatment strategy of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy: a retrospective, nationwide study

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse event of cancer treatment; however, no drug is recommended for the prevention of CIPN. In Japan, several drugs such as Gosha-Jinki-Gan and duloxetine are frequently administered as a treatment for CIPN. The aim of this study was to elucidate prescription patterns of drugs administered for CIPN caused by oxaliplatin and the association between these drugs and the duration of oxaliplatin treatment.

We conducted a retrospective nationwide study using the JMDC administrative claims database (January 2005-June 2020; JMDC Inc., Japan). Patients newly treated with oxaliplatin were identified, and prescription patterns of CIPN medication including Gosha-Jinki-Gan, pregabalin, duloxetine, mecobalamin, and mirogabalin were investigated. The primary outcome was the duration of oxaliplatin treatment. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between CIPN medication and duration of oxaliplatin treatment.

A total of 4,739 patients who newly received oxaliplatin were identified. Of these, 759 (16.0%) had received CIPN medication. Duloxetine was administered in 99 (2.1%) patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that CIPN medication was significantly associated with the prolonged duration of oxaliplatin treatment (odds ratio: 2.35, [95% confidence interval: 1.99-2.77]).

Real-world data demonstrated that the administration rate of CIPN medication was higher in patients who received oxaliplatin treatment for over 6 months.