Best Practices in Nursing Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

STATEMENT OF NEED
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a complication of cancer treatment that may impair quality of life and lead to dose reductions or discontinuation of treatment. In one study, among 105 patients receiving paclitaxel for breast cancer, 36.2% needed dose reductions due to CIPN (Timmins et al, 2021). Whereas in some patients the symptoms improve with time, in others, there is progression with permanent nerve damage (Zajączkowska et al, 2019). At present, there is a profound lack of knowledge on how best to manage CIPN. The pathophysiology of CIPN is poorly understood, leading to a lack of clinically improved prophylactic and therapeutic interventions despite extensive clinical trials. This activity will explore best practices in the nursing management of CIPN.

TARGET AUDIENCE
Oncology nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of patients with cancer.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

Appraise chemotherapeutic agents that cause chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN)
Assess the signs and symptoms of CIPN
Evaluate the current guidelines on the management of CIPN
Counsel patients on strategies to minimize the effects of CIPN