Poonam Gogania Professors, Department of Physiology, J.L.N Medical College, Ajmer, Rajasthan,, India
Gurpreet Singh PG 3rd, Department of Physiology, J.L.N Medical College, Ajmer, Rajasthan,, India
Ankit Kumawat Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, J.L.N Medical College, Ajmer, Rajasthan,, India
Address for correspondence: Poonam Gogania, Professors, Department of Physiology, J.L.N Medical College, Ajmer, Rajasthan,, India E-mail: drpoonamharwardhan@gmail.com
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
Singh G, Gogania P, Kumawat A. Effect of Chemotherapy on Nerve Conduction Velocity. Indian J Anat. 2026;15(1):7-12.
Timeline
Received : December 23, 2025
Accepted : January 24, 2025
Published : April 30, 2026
Abstract
Introduction: An estimated 20 million new cancer cases were reported in 2025. The WHO predicts over 35 million new cancer cases by 2050, a 77% increase from 22 million cases in 2025. Chemotherapy has revolutionized cancer management by improving survival and offering hope for remission. Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the most disabling and dose limiting complications, significantly affecting quality of life and treatment adherence. Aim: The study aims to study the effect of chemotherapy on nerve conduction
velocity with electrophysiological parameters. Objectives were to evaluate the nerve conduction velocity in patient receiving chemotherapy & to investigate motor and sensory peripheral nerve conduction abnormalities among patient receiving chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 80 subjects (40 Cases and 40 control). Result: Statistical comparison of nerve conduction velocity among different drug
classes showed significant differences, reaffirming that neurotoxicity is drugdependent, with platinum and axanes being most harmful. p-value: 0.003, Statistically significant difference in conduction velocity across
chemotherapy drugs. Conclusion: The significant drop in nerve conduction velocity confirms the effectiveness of electrophysiological testing in early detection and grading of neuropathy. Such objective tools should be employed routinely alongside clinical evaluation to monitor nerve function, guide treatment adjustments and initiate timely intervention.
References
1. World Cancer Research Fund. Worldwide cancer data. Available from: https://www. wcrf.org/preventing-cancer/cancer-statistics/ worldwide-cancer-data.
2. Indian Council of Medical Research. National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP). Available from: http://www.incredb.org/
3. Chabner BA, Roberts TG Jr. Chemotherapy and the war on cancer. Nat Rev Cancer. 2005;5(1):65–72.
4. Miller KD, Nogueira L, Mariotto AB, Rowland JH, Yabroff KR, Alfano CM, et al. Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics, 2019. CA Cancer J Clin. 2019;69(5):363–385.
5. American Cancer Society. What is peripheral neuropathy? Available from: https://www. cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/ side-effects/nervous-system/peripheralneuropathy/what-is-peripherial-neuropathy. html. Accessed 10 Feb 2022. 6. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Peripheral neuropathy fact sheet. Available from: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/ Disorders/ Patient-Caregiver-Education/FactSheets/Peripheral-Neuropathy-Fact-Sheet. Accessed 29 Jan 2022.
7. UC San Diego Health. About peripheral nerves. Available from: https://health.ucsd. edu/specialties/neuro/specialty-programs/ peripheral-nervedisorders/pages/aboutperipheral-nerves.aspx. Accessed 29 Jan 2022.
8. Cheng XL, Liu HQ, Wang Q, Huo JG, Wang XN, Cao P. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity and complementary and alternative medicines: Progress and perspective. Front Pharmacol. 2015;6:234.
9. Kolb NA, Smith AG, Singleton JR, Beck SL, Stoddard GJ, Brown S, et al. Association of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms and the risk of falling. JAMA Neurol. 2016;73(7):860–866.
10. Mols F, van de Poll-Franse LV, Vreugdenhil G, Beijers AJM, Kieffer JM, Aaronson NK,
11. et al. Reference data of the EORTC QLQCIPN20 questionnaire in the general Dutch population. Eur J Cancer. 2016;69:28–38.
12. Starobova H, Vetter I. Pathophysiology of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Front Mol Neurosci. 2017;10:174.
13. Speck RM, Courneya KS, Mâsse LC, Duval S, Schmitz KH. An update of controlled physical activity trials in cancer survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Cancer Surviv. 2010;4(2):87–100.
14. Mishra UK, McKeage MJ, Hsu T, et al. Mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Br J Cancer. 2001. Available from: https://www.nature.com/bjc
15. Kumar S. A prospective observational study in patients undergoing neurotoxic chemotherapy including oxaliplatin, paclitaxel, and vincristine. 2021–2022.
16. Raut S. Clinico-electrophysiological correlation of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. 2019–2020.
17. Seretny M, Currie GL, Sena ES, Ramnarine S, Grant R, MacLeod MR, et al. Incidence, prevalence, and predictors of chemotherapyinduced peripheral neuropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain. 2014; 155(12):2461–2470.
18. Windebank AJ, Grisold W. Peripheral neuropathies from chemotherapeutics and targeted agents: Diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Neuro Oncol. 2008;10(4):516–526.
19. Stillman M, Cata JP. Management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2006;10(4):279–287.
21. Peters CM, Jimenez-Andrade JM, Jonas BM, Koewler NJ, Ghilardi JR, Mantyh PW. Intravenous paclitaxel administration in the rat induces a peripheral sensory neuropathy. Neurotoxicology. 2007;28(3):523–531.
Data Sharing Statement
There are no additional data available. All raw data and code are available upon request.
Funding
This research received no funding.
Author Contributions
All authors contributed significantly to the work and approve its publication.
Ethics Declaration
Provide information related to the Ethics Committee approval with approval number OR write This article does not involve any human or animal subjects, and therefore does not require ethics approval.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to the patients, their families, and all those who have contributed to this study.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
About this article
Cite this article
Singh G, Gogania P, Kumawat A. Effect of Chemotherapy on Nerve Conduction Velocity. Indian J Anat. 2026;15(1):7-12.
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.