Taxol Linked to Neuropathic Pain in Women with Breast Cancer: Study

Use of the chemotherapy drug Taxol (paclitaxel) may significantly increase the risk of chronic neuropathic pain in breast cancer survivors, according to a new study from U.S. researchers.

The research, published in the November issue of the Journal of Pain, found that two-thirds of breast cancer patients given Taxol during chemotherapy experienced neuropathic pain during treatment, almost a third of whom were later diagnosed with chronic neuropathic pain.

Taxol is the brand name of paclitaxel. Originally developed by Bristol-Meyers Squibb, it is also available as a generic and a newer formulation known as Abraxane. It was first approved by FDA in 1992.

In the new study, researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center surveyed 240 breast cancer patients who underwent chemotherapy clinical trials between 1994 and 2001 and were given Taxol. The results indicated that 64% of those patients suffered chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CIPN) at the time of their treatment, and 27% of those who experienced CIPN were later diagnosed as having chronic neuropathic pain that persisted well after their treatments.

Chronic neuropathic pain is caused by damage to nerve fibers, which begin to send incorrect pain signals to the brain. Chronic neuropathic pain most often occurs after chemotherapy or when people who have undergone amputations can still feel pain from removed limb, commonly known as phantom limb syndrome.

Neuropathic pain symptoms include stabbing pains, numbness, tingling and/or burning sensations, most often in the hands and feet.

Researchers said that the study’s results show that CIPN at the time of chemotherapy could be used as an indicator of the risk of chronic neuropathic pain. The researchers suggested that women given Taxol should be monitored for signs of CIPN, and the risks and benefits of continuing to use the drug should be weighed when early signs of pain are detected.