Abstract
BackgroundAppropriate assessment is essential for the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), an intractable symptom that cannot yet be palliated, which is high on the list of causes of distress for cancer patients. However, objective assessment by medical staff makes it easy to underestimate the symptoms and effects of CIPN in cancer survivors. As a result, divergence from subjective evaluation of cancer survivors is a significant problem. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a subjective scale with high accuracy and applicability that reflects the experiences of cancer patients. We developed a comprehensive assessment scale for CIPN in cancer survivors, named the Comprehensive Assessment Scale for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Survivors of Cancer (CAS-CIPN), and demonstrated its reliability and validity.MethodsWe developed a questionnaire based on qualitative studies of peripheral neuropathy in Japanese cancer patients and literature review. Twelve cancer experts confirmed the content validity of the questionnaire. A draft version comprising 40 items was finalized by a pilot test on 100 subjects. The participants in the present study were 327 Japanese cancer survivors. Construct validity was determined by factor analysis, and internal validity by confirmation factor analysis and Cronbach’s α.ResultsFactor analysis showed that the structure consisted of 15 items in four dimensions: “Threatened interference in daily life by negative feelings”, “Impaired hand fine motor skills”, “Confidence in choice of treatment/management,” and “Dysesthesia of the palms and soles.” The CAS-CIPN internal consistency reliability was 0.826, and the reliability coefficient calculated using the Spearman-Brown formula [q = 2r/(1 + r)] was 0.713, confirming high internal consistency and stability. Scores on this scale were strongly correlated with Gynecologic Oncology Group-Neurotoxicity scores (r = 0.714, p < 0.01), confirming its criterion-related validity.ConclusionsThe CAS-CIPN is an assessment tool with high reliability and validity for the comprehensive evaluation of CIPN in cancer survivors. The CAS-CIPN is simple to use, and can be used by medical professionals for appropriate situational assessment and intervention.
Highlights
Appropriate assessment is essential for the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), an intractable symptom that cannot yet be palliated, which is high on the list of causes of distress for cancer patients
We developed a comprehensive assessment scale for measuring the effects of CIPN experienced by cancer survivors, and demonstrated its reliability and validity
A model was produced for confirmatory factor analysis, and goodness of fit was confirmed by covariance structure analysis
Summary
Appropriate assessment is essential for the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), an intractable symptom that cannot yet be palliated, which is high on the list of causes of distress for cancer patients. From a survey of 4000 cancer patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy, it was reported that chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), an intractable symptom that cannot yet be palliated, was high on their list of causes of distress [3]. CIPN can lead to changes in the treatment schedule, such as the reduced doses or suspension of treatment, which may reduce the therapeutic effect [8] This affects survival as well as the assurance of safety and maintenance of QOL [8, 9]; resolving CIPN is an urgent task
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
