Hand cooling and compression reduce neuropathy in breast cancer

A new study shows that hand cooling and compression can significantly reduce the risk of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in breast cancer patients. Both methods cut the incidence of high-grade CIPN by nearly 50%. In the study, 122 women undergoing taxane-based chemotherapy were assigned to either cooling or compression on one hand. Cooling reduced the risk by 42%, while compression lowered it by 37%. Follow-up showed fewer cases of CIPN in the treated hands compared to the untreated ones. This research is the first randomized trial comparing these two methods for CIPN prevention. The findings suggest that compression therapy, which is cost-effective and easy to use, could be beneficial in clinical settings.