Comparison of Peripheral Neurotoxicity of Weekly Paclitaxel Versus Thrice Weekly Paclitaxel  Chemotherapy Among Cancer Patients

Objective: To compare peripheral neurotoxicity of weekly Paclitaxel vs thrice weekly Paclitaxel chemotherapy among cancer patients. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of study: Oncology Department, Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan from Feb to Nov 2021. Methodology: We enrolled 200 patients with diagnosed malignancies taking Paclitaxel chemotherapy for more than three months and less than one year. They were divided into two groups: Group-A received Paclitaxel weekly while Group-B received this medication thrice weekly. Peripheral neurotoxicity was assessed by consultant oncologist on the basis of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score and patients in both groups were categorised into four grades from 0 to 3, on the basis of clinical symptoms described in ECOG score. Results: Out of 200 cancer patients prescribed Paclitaxel, 67(33.5%) were male while 133(66.5%) were female, 107(53.5%) received Paclitaxel weekly while 93(46.5%) received thrice weekly, 65(32.5%) had Grade 0 neuropathy, 90(45%) had Grade-I, 42(21%) had Grade-II while 03(1.5%) had Grade-III neuropathy. Dosage schedule was not associated with presence and severity of neurotoxicity. Conclusion: A significant number of cancer patients using Paclitaxel had presence of neuropathy in our study, regardless of weekly or thrice weekly dosing of Paclitaxel.