The impact of obesity on neuropathy outcomes for paclitaxel- and oxaliplatin-treated cancer survivors

Purpose: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major side effect of neurotoxic cancer treatment, often impacting treatment tolerability and patient functioning. Factors predicting an individual's vulnerability for developing CIPN remain ill-defined. However, patient characteristics may contribute to CIPN risk, with obesity being a prevalent patient comorbidity. This study was aimed at evaluate if being overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) was associated with worse symptomatic, clinical, and functional CIPN following neurotoxic cancer treatment.

Methods: Three hundred seventy-nine cancer survivors were assessed 5 (IQR 3-5) months post oxaliplatin or paclitaxel treatment via comprehensive patient-reported, clinical, and functional CIPN measures. Patients classified as overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²) were compared to those within the normal BMI range (< 25 kg/m²). Multilinear regression was conducted to evaluate the association between patient clinical factors and CIPN severity.

Results: Most patients reported CIPN symptoms (78%), with deficits evident on clinical examination. Overweight patients (n = 242, 63.8%) had significantly worse CIPN across symptomatic, objective clinical, and functional outcomes compared to those with a normal BMI (p < .05). In multivariate linear regression, older age (B = .088, 95%CI = .053-.122, p < .001), larger waist circumference (B = .030, 95%CI = .001-.059, p < .05), and larger BSA (B = 2.41, 95%CI = .34-04.48, p < .05) were associated with CIPN. Diabetes and BMI were significant on univariate analysis but not in the final models.

Conclusions: Overweight patients represent a large proportion of cancer survivors who may be particularly impacted by CIPN, requiring closer monitoring and referral to supportive services. Accessible data such as a patient's general and abdominal obesity status may aid in formulating personalized treatment.

Implications for cancer survivors: Identifying routinely measured patient characteristics which may contribute to an individual's CIPN risk profile could assist with informing treatment decisions.