# The course of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in hematological patients treated with vincristine, bortezomib, or lenalidomide: the NOVIT study

## TL;DR

This study tracks how chemotherapy drugs affect nerve health in cancer patients, finding that symptoms peak around the third treatment cycle and after treatment ends.

## Contribution

The study provides a detailed longitudinal analysis of CIPN in hematological patients using both patient-reported and clinician-assessed measures.

## Key findings

- 47.8% of patients developed CIPN during treatment or follow-up.
- The highest proportion of CIPN occurred at cycle 3–4 and one month after treatment.
- Paresthesia scores increased from baseline through treatment and into follow-up.

## Abstract

To assess and describe chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a well-known complication to cancer treatment, using different methodologies in hematological patients.

Patients scheduled for treatment with vincristine, bortezomib, or lenalidomide were included in this longitudinal observational study. The patients were examined for CIPN before treatment (baseline), before each chemotherapy cycle, one month after end of treatment, and one year after baseline using patient-reported outcomes (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy/Gynecologic Oncology Group-Ntx-13 (FACT/GOG-Ntx-13)) and clinician-assessed outcomes (the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) and the Total Neuropathy Score-clinical version (TNSc©)).

A total of 23 patients with 171 examination visits were included between 2020 and 2022. Four patients were treated with vincristine, five with bortezomib, and fourteen with bortezomib and lenalidomide combined. Defining CIPN as a ≥ 10% decrease in the FACT/GOG-Ntx-13, 11 patients (47.8%) developed CIPN during treatment and follow-up. CTCAE score for paresthesia increased from baseline throughout treatment until 1 month after the last treatment (p ≤ 0.045). Overall, the highest proportion of CIPN was present at cycle 3–4 and 1 month after last treatment.

This study describes the course of CIPN in patients treated with vincristine, bortezomib, or lenalidomide using both patient-reported and clinician-assessed outcomes. The highest proportion of CIPN was present at cycle 3–4 and 1 month after treatment, at which timepoints clinicians must be especially aware of CIPN.

Registered at Clinicaltrials.gov (Trial Registration Number: NCT04393363) on March 19, 2020.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-025-09282-3.