Wireless Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for Chronic Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Neurology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects 30-60% of patients receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy, significantly impairing quality of life.
• Effective treatments for CIPN are limited, necessitating novel therapeutic approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the preliminary efficacy of a wearable, app-controlled transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device for chronic CIPN.
• To evaluate the feasibility of conducting a confirmatory trial for CIPN within the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP).

Main Methods:

• A 6-site, subject and assessor-blinded randomized clinical trial (RCT) involving 142 eligible subjects.
• Primary outcome measured by the EORTC-CIPN20; secondary outcomes assessed daily symptom ratings.
• Analysis of covariance was used for primary and secondary outcome analyses.

Main Results:

• The study demonstrated excellent retention (91%) and feasibility within the NCORP network.
• No statistically significant difference was found in the primary outcome (EORTC-CIPN20) between the TENS and placebo groups (P=.199).
• Preliminary evidence suggests TENS may be promising for specific symptoms like hot/burning pain (P=.112), sharp/shooting pain (P=.128), and cramping (P=.110).

Conclusions:

• Daily, home-based TENS therapy is feasible and shows promising preliminary efficacy for painful CIPN symptoms.
• A confirmatory RCT for TENS in painful CIPN is warranted based on these findings.