Computer Model May Help Predict Neuropathy in Breast Cancer Survivors

A computer model was successful in separating patients with breast cancer into two groups, depending on their risk for peripheral neuropathy.

A new tool may be able to predict which women with breast cancer are more likely to experience nerve damage from taxane treatments, according to a Swedish study from Nature Precision Oncology.

Taxane drugs, such as docetaxel or paclitaxel, are commonly used to prevent breast cancer from coming back after treatment. However, these chemotherapy drugs commonly come with nervous system-related side effects such as peripheral neuropathy (weakness, pain or numbness in the hands and feet).

“Side effects in the form of nerve damage are very common after treatment with taxanes for breast cancer, and they often persist for several years. For those affected, it is extremely stressful, and it has a major impact on quality of life. So it is a major clinical problem, which has received more attention in recent years, but there has been no way to know which individuals are at greatest risk of side effects,” Kristina Engvall, who recently completed her PhD at Linköping University and is a doctor at the oncology clinic at Ryhov County Hospital in Jönköping, Sweden, said in a press release.

Engvall and other researchers on the study surveyed 337 breast cancer survivors about the severity of their peripheral neuropathy they experienced after being treated with docetaxel or paclitaxel. Common neuropathy-related symptoms included foot cramps, difficulty opening a jar, numbness or tingling in the feet and difficulty climbing stairs.

READ MORE: Vitamin D May Help Prevent Chemo-Induced Neuropathy

Then, the patients’ genes were sequenced, and a data program was created to determine if there were any links between genetics and the risk of nerve damage.

The model was successful in separating patients into two groups: one that had a high risk of persistent side effects and the other that mirrored the frequency of peripheral neuropathy in the general (non-cancer) population.

“This is the first time a prediction model has been developed that can predict the risk of nerve damage from taxane treatment. Women who have been treated with taxanes after breast cancer surgery make up a very large group in health care worldwide, so this is a major and clinically relevant problem,” lead study author, Henrik Gréen, professor at Linköping University, said in the release.

Moving forward, the researchers said that they hope models like these could help not only predict side effects but also personalize treatment regimens to promote the best quality of life during and after therapy.

“This can be a tool to individualize treatment, and not only to look at the benefits but also to look at the risks for the individual patient. Today we are so good at treating breast cancer that we need to focus more on the risk of complications and side effects that affect the patient long after treatment,” Engvall said.

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