Painful Peripheral Neuropathy and Cancer

Abstract

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.