SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuromuscular Disorders and Peripheral Neuropathies
Incidence and influencing factors of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy in cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Xin Chu 1
Yan He 2
Shanshan Peng 2
Nana Li 2
Dongqing Guo 2
Junming Zhang 2
1. Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
2. Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Abstract
Background:Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common adverse effect in cancer patients, yet studies have reported inconsistent incidence and influencing factors for CIPN. This study aims to systematically evaluate the incidence and influencing factors of CIPN in cancer patients. Methods: The search databases included PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, focusing on CIPN incidence and influencing factors in cancer patients up to 10 June, 2025. A meta-analysis of incidence and influencing factors was performed separately by Stata 17.0 software. Results:23 studies involving a sample size of 15,090 cases were included, and 16 influencing factors were identified. The incidence of CIPN in cancer patients was 56% (95% CI: 46%-66%, p < 0.01). Age≥50 years (OR=1.07, 95%CI:1.03-1.10), BMI≥ 24kg/m2 (OR=1.15, 95CI%:1.06-1.24), BMI≥30kg/m2 (OR=1.67, 95CI%:1.43-1.95), anxiety or depression (OR=2.50, 95CI%:1.20-5.20), hypertension (OR=1.98, 95CI%:1.07-3.69), diabetes mellitus (OR=1.66, 95CI%:1.29-2.13), cumulative dose of chemotherapy drugs (OR=2.52, 95CI%:1.20-5.32), chemotherapy≥4 cycles (OR=1.21, 95CI%:1.08-1.35), combination with taxane chemotherapy(per 10 mg/m2) (OR=3.14, 95CI%:1.81-5.44), vitamin D deficiency (OR=5.63, 95CI%:2.64-11.99), high cholesterol (OR=1.34, 95CI%:1.14-1.58), and transaminase elevation (OR=2.10, 95CI%:1.55-2.84) were influencing factors for CIPN in cancer patients. Conclusions:The results show that the incidence of CIPN in cancer patients is at a high level, and its influencing factors are varied and complex. This suggests that clinicians should screen for CIPN early to improve clinical outcomes and enhance the quality of life and survival for cancer patients.
Summary
Keywords
cancer patients, chemotherapy, InfluencingFactors, Meta-analysis, peripheral neuropathy
Received
24 July 2025
Accepted
27 January 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Chu, He, Peng, Li, Guo and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Xin Chu
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