Multivitamins May Reduce CIPN

Women who take multivitamin supplements before their breast cancer diagnosis and during chemotherapy appear to be less likely to develop the debilitating, often long-lasting symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), according to a new study.   In a large study of breast cancer patients undergoing paclitaxel chemotherapy, those who used multivitamins were about 40% less likely to suffer sensory loss. The researchers published their results online ahead of print in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “Our study showed that use of multivitamin supplements, but not specific vitamins, was associated with less neurotoxicity. This was true for use before diagnosis and, to…
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Vitamin B3 Reduces Pain From Chemo-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Nicotinamide riboside (NR), a type of vitamin B3, may prevent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a recent study in animals has shown. Although chemotherapy increases survival rates, it can have serious side effects, including peripheral neuropathy, that affect quality of life.1 "Our findings support the idea that NR could potentially be used to prevent or mitigate CIPN in cancer patients, resulting in a meaningful improvement in their quality of life and the ability to sustain better and longer treatment," said Marta Hamity, PhD, assistant research scientist at University of Iowa, Iowa City. For this study, the researchers examined the effects of…
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Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

CHICAGO — As many as 50% of patients undergoing chemotherapy for cancer experience chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. But most cases go undiagnosed, according to results presented at the American Neurological Association 2015 Annual Meeting in Chicago. Noah A. Kolb, MD, of the University of Utah, and colleagues studied the frequency of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and other neuropathy codes in three large databases: the Utah Cancer Registry, Population Database, and Electronic Data Warehouse. Overall, 984 patients exposed to neurotoxic chemotherapy were identified. Chemo Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Disorders of peripheral nerves are frequent complications of chemotherapy and certain other drug therapies. As…
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