PACLITAXEL NEUROTOXICITY - CLINICAL AND NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL STUDY OF 23 PATIENTS

Paclitaxel is the prototype of a new class of chemotherapeutic agents with an antimitotic effect that is related to its ability to interfere with the microtubule system. It causes peripheral neurological toxici ty by: means of its activity on the axonal microtubules: To define the clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of paclitaxel neuropa thy 23 patients undergoing paclitaxel therapy at a dose of 175 mg/m(2) were studied. The patients were divided into two groups, with only on e group receiving pretreatment with potentially neurotoxic drugs such as cisplatin and carboplatin. The results showed a high incidence of m ild neurotoxicity in both groups. Treatment was discontinued due to se vere neurotoxicity in only one patient pretreated with platinum-compou nds. The clinical and neurophysiological data make it possible to defi ne paclitaxel neurotoxicity as a distal axonal neuropathy with a summa tory effect in patients pretreated with cisplatin; the possible revers ibility of paclitaxel neurotoxicity requires further confirmation.