Basic science and clinical management of painful and non-painful chemotherapy-related neuropathy

• Peripheral neuropathy is a common neurologic side effect of chemotherapy treatment
• Functional and anatomical changes occur at the level of peripheral and central nervous system
• Diagnosis is generally made at the bedside after through history and physical

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a dose-limiting toxicity of several chemotherapeutics used in the treatment of all the most common malignancies. There are several defined mechanisms of nerve damage that take place along different areas of the peripheral and the central nervous system. Treatment is based on symptom management and there are several classes of medications found to be efficacious in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain that persists despite appropriate pharmacotherapy may respond to interventional procedures that span a range of invasiveness. The purpose of this review article is to examine the basic science of neuropathy and currently available treatment options in the context of chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy.