Short-term neurotoxicity trajectory in patients with thoracic cancers receiving triweekly albumin-bound paclitaxel

This study aimed to investigate the short-term trajectory of peripheral neuropathy in patients receiving triweekly albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel) chemotherapy. 235 patients were recruited from March to August 2024, of whom 65.1% developed neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy was assessed at baseline (the first day of chemotherapy) and on days 3, 7, 14, and 21. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify two distinct trajectories of neuropathy: a rise-then-decline group and a gradual-increase group. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that patients with an increased cumulative dose (per 200 mg increment: odds ratio [OR] = 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28-1.78), anemia (OR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.30-5.52), and age < 60 years (OR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.03-4.60) were more likely to belong to the rise-then-decline trajectory group. Clinicians should closely monitor symptom severity between 7 and 14 days post-chemotherapy. In older patients, combining patient-reported outcomes with clinical functional assessments may help detect subtle sensory neuropathic changes.