Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)
What Is CIPN, and Why Does It Matter?
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is nerve damage caused by certain chemotherapy drugs. It affects the hands and feet, causing numbness, tingling, burning pain, and loss of function — often persisting long after treatment ends. For many patients, it is one of the most debilitating and undertreated side effects of cancer care.
Understanding CIPN
CIPN occurs when chemotherapy drugs damage the peripheral nervous system which are the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord responsible for sensation, movement, and coordination. Symptoms appear in a characteristic "stocking-glove" pattern, beginning at the fingertips and toes and progressing outward.
Common Symptoms of CIPN
• Numbness, tingling, or burning in hands and feet
• Heightened sensitivity to touch or temperature
• Muscle weakness, poor balance, or coordination difficulties,
• Difficulty with fine motor skills such as buttoning, writing, or typing
• Symptoms may worsen after chemotherpy ends, known as coasting
Impact on Treatment and Daily Life
CIPN isn't only a quality of life issue. It can force the oncologist to delay, reduce, or discontinue chemotherapy. Dose-limiting CIPN occurred in over 10% of breast cancer patients treated with taxanes in clinical practice, and dose reductions have been linked to worse disease-free survival outcomes.
For survivors, CIPN can mean years of chronic pain, fall risk, limited mobility, and loss of idenpendence. Currently, no approved medication prevents CIPN.