The Role of Interleukin-20 in Paclitaxel-Associated Peripheral Neuropathy in Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Introduction: This study investigated the relationship between serum interleukin-20 (IL-20) levels and paclitaxel-associated neuropathy in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer. Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) is a significant side effect of paclitaxel chemotherapy, and the exact mechanism underlying PIPN is not fully understood. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted with non-metastatic breast cancer patients between January 2022 and November 2022. Neuropathy symptoms were evaluated using the QLQ-CIPN20 questionnaire, and serum IL-20 levels were measured at three time points: before chemotherapy, on the 7th day after the first paclitaxel treatment, and after the last treatment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors predicting PIPN. Results: This study was completed with 59 female patients. During the study, 47 patients (79.6%) reported any degree of neuropathy, whereas 12 patients (20.4%) had no neuropathy. Univariate analysis to predict neuropathy measured on day 7 after first paclitaxel administration demonstrated that age, body mass index, 7th-day serum IL-20 level, and last cycle serum IL-20 level were predictive for PIPN. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the relationship between serum IL-20 levels and paclitaxel-related neuropathy in breast cancer patients. Further research targeting the function of IL-20 is needed to investigate potential strategies to prevent and treat PIPN.