# Innovative Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Painful Peripheral Neuropathy in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer: A two arm pilot study

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · 2022 · $227,205

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
An estimated one in five children in the United States has cancer. Fortunately, the 5-year overall survival rate
has improved over the years and is currently more than 80% for many types of cancer, thanks to advances in
chemotherapy. Unfortunately, chemotherapy drugs have adverse effects such as peripheral neuropathy (so-
called chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, CIPN). CIPN is a debilitating condition that negatively
affects the quality of life of affected patients. The drugs used to treat CIPN, such as opioids, antiepileptics,
and antidepressants, are often ineffective, and/or have profound adverse effects, such as constipation,
sedation, addiction, respiratory depression, and even death. Furthermore, nonpharmacologic treatments
such as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), acupuncture, and yoga have shown mixed results.
Importantly, most of the procedures have been tested in adults with CIPN; much less research has been done
in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. Consequently, the management of CIPN in AYA patients
with cancer remains a challenge. Thus, this exploratory R21 proposal addresses the unmet need in treating
AYAs with CIPN by introducing a potentially effective noninvasive electrocutaneous nerve stimulation
technique called scrambler therapy (ST), which is different from TENS. Given that the clinical presentation of
CIPN in AYAs is similar to that of older adults, and with supporting evidence from a recently published small
study from Italy, we believe that ST is a promising novel treatment option for patients of all ages with CIPN.
Thus, it is worth investigating this novel treatment further. Our central hypothesis is that ST significantly
reduces pain and improves neuropathy, physical function, and quality of life (QoL) of AYA cancer
patients with CIPN. To test this hypothesis, we propose a prospective, randomized, wait-list controlled pilot
study with two specific aims: Specific Aim 1: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of ST for CIPN in AYA
cancer patients, and Specific Aim 2: To evaluate the impact of ST on physical functioning and quality
of life (QoL) in AYA cancer patients. The overall objective of this proposal is to show that ST may be a
valuable alternative to pharmacologic management of CIPN that can effectively improve pain and
neuropathy and improve QoL for AYA cancer patients with CIPN. We expect to see significant improvement in
pain and other symptom burden of CIPN in AYA patients. Finally, this pilot study is not a mechanistic study.
Instead, it will focus on patient-reported outcomes, physical functioning, and QoL to demonstrate effectiveness.
As such, pain will be our primary outcome measure, whereas physical performance and QoL will be our
secondary outcome measures. The long-term goal is to use ST safely and effectively for all types of
intractable neuropathic pain, which if successful, will result in changes in the clinic.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10363448
- **Project number:** 1R21CA256136-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Salahadin Abdi
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $227,205
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-02-02 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10363448

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10363448, Innovative Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Painful Peripheral Neuropathy in Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer: A two arm pilot study (1R21CA256136-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10363448. Licensed CC0.

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