Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

CIPN is caused by chemotherapy agents — particularly taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel), platinum compounds (cisplatin, oxaliplatin), and vinca alkaloids — that are toxic to peripheral nerve axons. These drugs do their job: they kill cancer cells. But they also damage the long, delicate nerve fibers running to the hands and feet. For a significant percentage of patients treated with these agents, that damage persists long after treatment ends.

What makes CIPN difficult is that the cancer is gone — and the medical system, rightly focused on preventing recurrence, has often moved on as well. Patients are told that the tingling and numbness may improve with time, and sometimes it does. But 'wait and see' is not a treatment plan for the majority of CIPN patients who are still symptomatic two or three years post-treatment. The nerve damage is real, measurable, and addressable.

Dr. Logan Swaim, BCN treats CIPN patients with the same nerve function assessment protocol used for all neuropathy types — because the goals are the same: improve the microcirculation reaching the damaged nerve fibers, reduce the inflammatory environment surrounding them, and support whatever regenerative capacity remains. Honest communication is built into every stage of care. We will tell you what we find, what we think is achievable, and when the evidence suggests we have done everything that can be done.