Assessment tools for peripheral neuropathy in multiple myeloma.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Neuroscience
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Multiple myeloma (MM) treatment advances improve survival, increasing focus on quality of life.
• Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a frequent, quality-of-life-impairing toxicity in MM patients.
• Current lack of standardized PN assessment methods hinders optimal management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate peripheral neuropathy (PN) assessment tools used in multiple myeloma (MM).
• To identify and categorize the diverse methods employed for PN evaluation in MM.
• To provide a foundation for developing standardized PN assessment protocols.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed.
• Systematic review of eligible studies adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Identification and categorization of 17 distinct PN assessment tools.

Main Results:

• Seventeen PN assessment tools were identified across 22 studies.
• Clinician-based tools: Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) and NCI-CTCAE were most common.
• Patient-reported outcome measure: FACT/GOG-Neurotoxicity was most frequent.
• Significant heterogeneity observed in tool selection and application.

Conclusions:

• This systematic review is the first to evaluate PN assessment tools specifically for MM patients.
• Substantial heterogeneity in PN assessment methods necessitates standardization.
• Findings can guide researchers and clinicians toward consistent PN evaluation for improved MM patient care.