Feasibility of clinical implementation and acceptability of patient-reported screening for chemotherapy-induced...

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major side-effect of cancer treatment, leading to early treatment cessation and long-lasting disability. This project aimed to determine acceptability and barriers of routine CIPN screening.

In a prospective sample across two sites, patients scheduled for treatment or treated with neurotoxic therapy were eligible to complete CIPN screening at any cycle. Three brief patient-reported outcome screening tools (NCI-PRO-CTCAE, PNQ, and EviQ) and a short feasibility questionnaire were deployed (termed CIPN-Screen) during appointments (Centre 1) or via automated text messages (Centre 2).

Seven hundred fifty-five screens were undertaken in 159 participants between March 2022 and November 2023, with 109 at Centre 1 (median[IQR] 1[1]screen) and 646 at Centre 2 (median[IQR] 8[6]screens). Automatic text message reminders at Centre 2 enabled longitudinal assessments to be collected. 426 screens (56.4%) identified CIPN symptoms with 138 (18.3%) moderate-to-severe. Most respondents reported that the CIPN-Screen was easy to complete (92.0%, n = 671), easy to understand (91.6%, n = 668), and helpful to describe symptoms (85.6%, n = 624). Acceptability did not differ by age, sex, or chemotherapy type; however, acceptability did differ according to CIPN symptom severity (P = 0.0002). There were significant differences in CIPN symptom score over time (P < 0.0001, n = 52), indicating that the CIPN-Screen detected symptom evolution over time.

Questionnaire-based CIPN screening is feasible and assists in symptom profiling for patients treated with neurotoxic chemotherapy.

CIPN is an important toxicity with lasting effects for cancer survivors. Identifying better approaches to patient-relevant CIPN screening will enable improved care for cancer survivors.