Calcium channel blockers reduce oxaliplatin-induced acute neuropathy: A retrospective study of 69 male patients receiving modified FOLFOX6 therapy

Oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy has been widely used for colorectal cancer. However, it causes severe acute and chronic peripheral neuropathies. Recently, we reported that calcium channel blockers prevent the oxaliplatin-induced cold hyperalgesia in rats. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the treatment with calcium channel blockers prevents the peripheral neuropathy during oxaliplatin therapy. The electronic medical charts for patients who received modified FOLFOX6 regimen from January 2008 to December 2010 were evaluated. Of the 200 patients who received modified FOLFOX6 therapy, 84 patients were excluded due to the exclusion criteria. Calcium channel blockers had been taken by 26 of 69 male patients, but only three of 47 female patients. Therefore, in the present analysis, the male data of the groups with and without calcium channel blockers (n= 26 and 43, respectively) were compared. The cumulative incidence curve of acute neuropathy was significantly lower in the group with calcium channel blockers (P= 0.0438, log-rank test), whereas there was no difference between these groups in the cumulative incidence curve of chronic neuropathy (P= 0.4919, log-rank test). The present study indicated that calcium channel blockers inhibit the development of acute peripheral neuropathy in patients receiving modified FOLFOX6 therapy.