Neuropathies in the context of malignancies.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To conduct a critical review of recent data pertaining to the clinical and therapeutic aspects of peripheral neuropathies in the setting of malignancies, with the exception of paraproteinemic neuropathies. Our search extended to the past 2 years, using a PubMed search strategy.

RECENT FINDINGS: In the field of neuropathies linked with the development of the cancer, recent works have focused on lymphoma and cancer-associated vasculitides. In paraneoplastic syndromes, the major fact of the past 2 years is the issue of guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of these disorders, under the aegis of the paraneoplastic syndromes Euronetwork and of the European Federation of Neurological Sciences. When considering chemotherapy, neurotoxicity is becoming increasingly better known. Finally, the spectrum of late-delayed complications of irradiation further increases with a better clinical characterization of radiotherapy-induced dropped head syndrome.

SUMMARY: This article successively reviews the results of the recent studies in these various fields. In the field of chemotherapy, we will particularly focus on some new data concerning oxaliplatin, bortezomib, the albumin-bound form of paclitaxel and lenalidomide.