Association between peripheral neuropathy and sleep quality among colorectal cancer patients from diagnosis until 2-year follow-up: results from the PROFILES registry.

Abstract

PURPOSE

Studies on the association between peripheral neuropathy (PN) and patient-reported outcomes have mostly overlooked sleep quality. Therefore, we aimed to assess the association between PN and sleep quality in a population-based sample of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients up 2 years after diagnosis.

RESULTS

Patients who developed sensory PN (n = 76) or motor PN (n = 79) after treatment more often reported poor sleeping scores (PSQI > 5) compared with those who did not develop SPN or MPN at 1-year (SPN: 38% vs. 261%, MPN: 37% vs. 14%) and 2-year follow-up (SPN: 38 vs. 23%, MPN: 37% vs. 18%) (all p < 0.05). Overall, results showed that among patients who did not develop SPN or MPN, sleep quality improved after baseline, while among patients with SPN or MPN, sleep quality did not improve at one and two years after diagnosis.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS

Improving sleep quality among survivors with PN is important, either by reducing PN symptoms or directly targeting sleep.

METHODS

All newly diagnosed CRC patients from four Dutch hospitals were eligible for participation. Patients (N = 340) completed questionnaires about PN (EORTC QLQ-CIPN20) and sleep (PSQI) before initial treatment (baseline) and 1 and 2 years after diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Both SPN and MPN were significantly associated with the course of sleep quality among CRC patients up to 2 years after diagnosis. Clinicians should be encouraged to discuss sleep quality with their patients who either report PN or are at risk of developing PN.