The Total Neuropathy Score as an assessment tool for grading the course of chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity: comparison with the National Cancer Institute‐Common Toxicity Scale

TLDR

Chemotherapy‑induced peripheral neurotoxicity is a major side effect of many antineoplastic drugs, yet no consensus exists on the optimal method to assess its severity and progression. The study aimed to compare the sensitivity of the Total Neuropathy Score and its clinical version to the National Cancer Institute‑Common Toxicity Criteria in detecting changes in CIPN severity. Eighteen‑three patients were evaluated at baseline and during chemotherapy using the TNS (n = 122) or TNSc (n = 51) alongside NCI‑CTC 2.0. Both the TNS and TNSc correlated significantly with NCI‑CTC scores and demonstrated greater sensitivity to CIPN changes, supporting the TNSc as a reliable assessment tool.

Abstract

Abstract Chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a major side effect of several antineoplastic drugs. However, despite its clinical importance, there is no agreement as to the best way to assess the severity and changes in CIPN. We have previously demonstrated a correlation between the severity of CIPN, assessed using the Total Neuropathy Score (TNS) or its reduced versions, and several common toxicity scales. In this study, we investigated two series of patients (total number = 173) who were evaluated at baseline and during chemotherapy with the TNS ( n = 122) or the TNSc (the TNS version based exclusively on the clinical evaluation of the patients, n = 51) and with the National Cancer Institute‐Common Toxicity Criteria (NCI‐CTC) 2.0, with the aim of comparing the sensitivity to the changes in CIPN severity. In both series, the TNS and the TNSc had a significant correlation with the NCI‐CTC in scoring the severity of CIPN, confirming the results of previous studies. Moreover, both the TNS and the TNSc showed a higher sensitivity to CIPN changes. We, therefore, propose the TNSc as a reliable method for assessing not only the severity but also the changes in CIPN.