Fallon, M.T., Storey, D.J., Krishan, A., Weir, C.J., Mitchell, R., Fleetwood-Walker, S.M., . . . Colvin, L.A. (2015). Cancer treatment-related neuropathic pain: Proof of concept study with menthol—A TRPM8 agonist. Supportive Care in Cancer, 23, 2769–2777.
To evaluate whether a topical menthol product has clinical benefit for pain of peripheral neuropathy
Patients were given a 1% menthol in aqueous cream and were instructed how to apply it to the affected area and corresponding dermatome region of the spine twice daily. Patients were followed for four to six weeks.
PHASE OF CARE: Late effects and survivorship
Open-label
Eighty-two percent showed an improvement in pain scores (p < 0.001). Significant improvements were observed in some aspects of quantitative sensory testing for mechanical detection threshold, cool stimulus, and warm stimulus. Both walking velocity and cadence improved. No significant changes in hand dexterity or LANSS scores were reported.
The findings suggest that the topical application of menthol can improve symptoms of chronic chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
This study is limited by its small sample size and study design, but shows promising proof of concept results related to molecular receptors in sensory nerves that appear to respond to topical menthol. Very few interventions have been shown to prevent or effectively treat chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, so further research on the use of topical menthol is warranted. Further well designed studies are needed.