Painful Peripheral Neuropathy and Cancer

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is very prevalent in cancer patients and a leading cause of pain related to cancer. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms vary significantly. Peripheral neuropathy can be a direct or an indirect complication of cancer or cancer-related treatment, or a pre-existing comorbidity not related to cancer. PN might also occur as a paraneoplastic neurological syndrome. Such syndromes are immune-mediated manifestations that usually precede the diagnosis of cancer or cancer’s relapse. Pain is very prevalent in paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathies and, therefore, merits attention.

is, P., Varrassi, G. Painful Peripheral Neuropathy and Cancer. Pain Ther 6, 115–116 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40122-017-0077-2