Identification of clinical predictive factors of oxaliplatin-induced chronic peripheral neuropathy in colorectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant FOLFOX IV.

Abstract

e14135 Background: Oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy is a dose-related side effect which occurs in almost 40% of patients treated with oxaliplatin. Aim of the present study was to identify reliable clinical factors predicting its development and duration. Methods: 169 completely resected CRC patients treated with adjuvant Folfox IV regimen were retrospectively included. The following pre-treatment clinical parameters were collected: hypocalcemia, hypomagnesaemia, hypoalbuminemia, anaemia, diabetes, chronic renal failure (CRF), folate deficiency, B12 deficiency, number of cycles received and habit to alcohol consumption. Incidence, grade (NCI-CTCAE v.3) and duration of neuropathy were recorded. Results: Incidence of neuropathy was found to be higher in patients with pretreatment anaemia (p=0.001), hypoalbuminemia (p=0.01) and hypomagnesemia (p=0.001) as well in those with habit to alcohol consumption (p=0.003). Neuropathy durations was conversely associated with age, being longer in younger patients (p=0.03), and again with hypoalbuminemia (p=0.04) and hypomagnesemia (p=0.002). No correlation was found with gender, hypocalcemia, diabetes and CRF. The correlation between vitamin B12 and folate levels and the development of neurotoxicity was not analysed because of the high number of missing data in the population. Conclusions: Age, anaemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypomagnesemia and alcohol consumption are reliable and easily assessable clinical factors predicting incidence and length of oxaliplatin induced neuropathy.