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R. Amro1, T. Arakelian1, A. Abed Al-Nabi1, S. Al-Fakhuri1, M. Jaber1
1Bethlehem University, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Department, Bethlehem, Palestine
Background: Chemotherapy has several side effects, chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy is one of those side effects, which has serious effects on activity and participation of the patients, but only few studies were found to be targeting this subject.
Purpose: The aim of this is study to determine the effects that chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy has on activities and participation of the patients in their daily lives in Palestine.
Methods: This quantitative study uses the non-experimental cross-sectional survey design to implement the effects of chemotherapy. Patients were ranging in age from 18-65 years, all participants had six or more cycles of chemotherapy, not diagnosed with end stage cancer, can read and understand Arabic, and had no other illness that affects the nervous system or affects their mobility. Recruitment for the study was done in Augusta Victoria Hospital, which provides chemotherapy sessions, and Dunya women's cancer center that provides services for women during chemotherapy and after they finish their treatments. Data collection was made through adaptation of modified Rasch built overall disability scale (CIPN-R_ODS), it was translated to Arabic in accordance to miss Ghada Amro and two questions were added. The first was added to determine the chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms, and the second was to cover each aspect of the activities of daily living in Palestine, which is cleaning with water.
Results: The study results indicated that chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy affects activities and participation with a significance (α = 0.008), the female participants had more difficulties in activities than male participants (α = 0.001), but there was no correlation between the age (α = 0.773) and place of living (α = 0.092) with the effects of CIPN on activities α = 0.773, α = 0.092. Finally, there was no correlation between the severity of CIPN symptoms and the chemotherapy sessions (α = 0.894). In addition, results also showed that the most reported symptom of CIPN was pain (freq. =23), while the least reported symptom was loss of hearing (freq. =10).
Conclusion(s): Results show that patients undergoing chemotherapy suffer difficulties and may need assistance in their activities of daily living, especially at the sixth cycle of chemotherapy their symptoms and the difficulties they suffer from are the most; finally, it affects females more than male participants. Which implements the necessity for future research on male-female incidence rate and differences.
Implications: This study should help raise awareness in Palestine especially about the importance of the physiotherapy role in treating and helping patients deal with their symptoms, and the problems underlying their symptoms such as independence, balance impairments, disturbed sensation and loss of strength in their limbs.
Funding, acknowledgements: this study was not funded.
Keywords: CIPN, activity, participation
Topic: Oncology, HIV & palliative care
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Bethlehem University, Augusta Victoria Hospital
Committee: Bethlehem University Research Ethics Committee, Ethical Committee of Augusta Victoria Hospital
Ethics number: 625948
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
