Eloxatin (oxaliplatin) is a chemotherapy drug that's often used to treat colorectal cancer. But, patients who receive Eloxatin often experience neuropathy, which literally means a problem with the nerves.
Symptoms of neuropathy may include numbness and tingling in your fingers, toes, or throat; sensitivity to cold; a reduced sense of touch; and a "pins and needles" kind of feeling in your hands and feet. When neuropathy occurs, cancer patients must make a difficult decision: deal with it or cut back on (or stop) the Eloxatin.
A study published in The Oncologist may offer another option: oral glutamine. According to the researchers, supplementing a colorectal cancer patient's chemo with oral glutamine reduced the incidence and severity of neuropathy without adversely affecting the efficacy of the chemo.
Related Research Summaries: