Maestri, A., De Pasquale Ceratti, A., Cundari, S., Zanna, C., Cortesi, E., & Crino, L. (2005). A pilot study on the effect of acetyl-L-carnitine in paclitaxel- and cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. Tumori, 91, 135–138.
Patients were treated with acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) 1 g per day via IV for at least 10 consecutive days. Cisplatin neuropathy was characterized as numbness, tingling, loss of vibration sensation, and diminished proprioception.
The study was conducted from April 2000 to December 2002.
Of the 26 patients, 19 (73%) showed at least one grade of CIPN improvement, and all cisplatin-treated patients showed at least one grade of CIPN improvement. In addition, one patient with World Health Organization grade 2 neuropathy had complete resolution of neuropathy after 11 days of treatment. For paclitaxel-treated patients, 8 of 12 (67%) showed one grade improvement, as did 8 of 10 (80%) in the combination paclitaxel and cisplatin treatment group. The remaining patients had stable CIPN.