Neuropathy: Causes, symptoms and what cancer patients need to know
September 22, 2026
- Neuropathy is the scientific name for nerves that are malfunctioning.
- In cancer patients, it is usually a side effect of certain types of chemotherapy.
- Effective treatments are currently limited, so researchers are focusing on prevention.
Neuropathy is the clinical term for nerves that are not working properly.
From a structural perspective, that could mean they’re either broken or just malfunctioning. Usually, those two things go hand in hand, but not always. Either way, it means that the nerves are not doing what they’re supposed to be doing.
Neuropathy is a problem for many of our patients here at UT MD Anderson because it can be a side effect of some of the drugs we use to treat cancer, including certain types of chemotherapy. But what else might cause neuropathy? And what can we do to treat or even prevent it?
Here’s what to know about neuropathy, including why it happens, how it can look, and why we’re more focused on prevention right now than treatment.
What are the symptoms of neuropathy?
The nervous system is our bodies’ way of interacting with and making sense of the world. We perceive it through our five senses, process that information, then respond, based on how our brains interpret it.
Some of these processes we can control, such as reaching for a pencil or a cup of coffee. Others just go on in the background, like regulating our body temperature, blood sugar and blood pressure. When the nervous system is damaged, though, any of these processes might be affected. So, here are some of the many ways neuropathy can look:
- Autonomic: If the nerves controlling automatic processes are affected, you might faint due to a sudden drop in blood pressure or have heart palpitations.
- Central nervous system: If the nerves in your brain are affected, you might struggle with attention, memory or multitasking.
- Cranial: If the nerves in your ears are affected, you might experience tinnitus (ringing) or have trouble hearing.
- Motor: If the nerves in your muscles are affected, you might experience weakness, cramps or twitching.
- Peripheral: If the nerves in your skin are affected, you might experience numbness, tingling, or excessive sensitivity, sometimes to cold.
What are the main causes of neuropathy?
Among cancer patients, neuropathy is usually due to chemotherapy. These could be platinum-based drugs, such as carboplatin and cisplatin, or taxane-class drugs like paclitaxel.
Chemotherapy is a cytotoxin, meaning that it kills cells. Some cancer cells are more vulnerable to it than others. Unfortunately, our nerve cells share that same quality. So, if they’re left unprotected during treatment, they can be damaged early on.
But chemotherapy isn’t the only possible cause of neuropathy. Others include:
- Alcohol abuse
- Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis
- Diabetes
- Injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, which results from repetitive motions
- Kidney disease
- Viral infections, such as HIV, Epstein-Barr, herpes, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis and others
- Vitamin deficiency, especially vitamin B
Featured Podcast:
How to manage neuropathy during cancer treatment
What’s the best way to manage neuropathy?
Despite many years of research, we still don’t have a good way to prevent or treat neuropathy.
Early clinical evidence suggests that using ice packs to cool certain nerves while receiving an infusion can shrink those blood vessels, reducing the blood flow to those areas — and, by extension, their exposure to the chemotherapy drugs.
But only one medication (duloxetine) has been included in the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) guidelines as a possible treatment for moderate to severe chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. It’s not routinely prescribed here at UT MD Anderson because only about 10-15% of affected patients might see some benefit from it.
Instead, we try to manage its symptoms, whether that’s through acupressure, acupuncture, scrambler therapy, peripheral nerve stimulation, red light therapy or some other form of therapy.
The reason we focus on managing neuropathy symptoms is that once nerves are damaged, they either recover or they’re gone for good. Whether we can reverse the damage depends on the kind and amount of chemo you’re using.
Is neuropathy curable?
Unfortunately, no. And, neuropathy is only reversible in about half the people who experience it. That doesn’t mean you won’t see any improvement at all if you develop it. It just means that many patients will live with at least some degree of neuropathy for the rest of their lives.
The good news is that we’re making significant strides now in the area of prevention. I just co-authored a research article, published in the journal Science, with 28 colleagues that explores this subject. In laboratory studies, we’ve found that psilocybin, a compound found in fungi, can help protect nerves from chemotherapy’s more negative effects.
One of the ways chemotherapy damages a nerve is by disrupting its mitochondria, or the power plants of our cells. If the mitochondria can’t manufacture enough energy, the nerves start to shrink and die. But we’ve found that just a few doses of psilocybin given before chemotherapy can make the nerve cells more resilient, so they never get into an energy crisis.
We just opened a new clinical trial to study this compound further and see what other protective benefits it might have. Regenerating or reviving damaged nerves is almost impossible using today’s technology. That’s why we’re focusing on prevention.
Moran Amit, M.D., Ph.D., is a surgeon and researcher who specializes in treating head and neck cancers.
Request an appointment at UT MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.