JAMA Neurol. 2016 May 16. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2016.0383. [Epub ahead of print]

The Association of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms and the Risk of Falling.

Kolb NA, Smith AG, Singleton JR, et al

A secondary analysis of a prospective study was performed to determine the association between the symptoms of taxane/platinum chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and the risk of falls. From 116 patients with breast, ovarian, or lung cancer, 32 had CIPN symptoms. Seventy-four falls or near falls were reported over an average follow-up of 2 months. Those with CIPN were nearly 3 times more likely to report a fall or near fall than those without, with 8/32 (25%) with CIPN obtaining medical care for falls, compared to 6/84 (7%) without CIPN. The authors suggest education and monitoring of patients receiving neurotoxic chemotherapy may facilitate fall prevention strategies.

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