Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in multiple myeloma patients undergoing maintenance therapy.

Abstract

9646 Background: After 3-months autologous stem cell transplant (AuSCT), a percentage of multiple myeloma (MM) patients during maintenance therapy continue to experience a complex of symptoms related to peripheral neuropathy. This longitudinal study examined these self-reported neuropathy symptoms and identified circulating inflammatory markers associated with high neuropathy-related symptoms. Methods: MM patients (N=51) rated symptom severity on 0-10 scale via the M. D. Anderson symptom Inventory (MDASI) weekly from 3 to 9 months post AuSCT during maintenance therapy. Patient also rated pain on hand or foot in routine clinic visit. A panel of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, receptors, chemokines was evaluated on serum samples by Luminex. Mixed effect analysis was used to describe the changes on cytokines and symptom outcomes across time. Trajectory analysis identified patients that persistently reported higher or lower symptom severity overtime. Results: During the study period, there was no significant reduction on pain in general or on hand/foot, or change in neuropathic symptoms such as numbness/tingling and muscle weakness. Among a third (33%) of patients who was consistently in high pain (mean 5.5), MIP-1a (p=.001) and MCP-1 (p=.032) showed significant decrease. Approximately 40 % had persistently high numbness/tingling (mean 5.2) across the observation period. Compared to low symptom group patients, this high numbness group had significantly higher IL-6 (p=.019) and TNF-alpha (p=.006). High muscle weakness (mean 3.1) was for 69% of the sample. This group had significantly higher CRP (p=.005) and TNF-alpha (p=.001). Conclusions: This is the first longitudinal study that tracked persistent neuropathy-related symptoms for MM patients post AuSCT. Approximately one third reported painful neuropathy, either from induction therapy or ongoing maintenance therapy. High levels of these neuropathy symptoms were associated with higher levels of specific pro-inflammatory markers. This study provided rationale for examining the effectiveness of anti-inflammation as mechanism driven intervention on peripheral neuropathy in this cohort of MM patients.