The CONTRoL Trial: Cryotherapy vs. cOmpression Neuropathy TRiaL

The primary endpoint is the change in FACT NTX at 12 weeks from the start of chemotherapy. The change in FACT NTX will be dichotomized into a good outcome (change in FACT NTX less than 5 from baseline to week 12) versus a poor outcome (change in FACT NTX greater than or equal to 5 from baseline to week 12). The FACT-NTX subscale includes 11 items, each of which is divided into 5 scoring levels: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and a total score of 44. The scale is graded 0-4. A low score indicates a good effect. This change in FACT-NTX scale score indicates the proportion of patients with successful outcomes.

National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE) is a subjective method to evaluate CIPN which is performed by a healthcare professional. The patient's peripheral sensory neuropathy, peripheral motor neuropathy, dysesthesia, paresthesia and neuralgia will be graded on a scale of 1 to 5 depending on severity with 1 indicating a better outcome.

The number of participants with a change in cutaneous toxicity and onycholysis will be assessed by a healthcare professional using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (Version 2), specifically nail changes. Grade 1 includes discoloration, ridging (koilonychia), or pitting of the nails and Grade 2 is partial or complete loss of nail(s) or pain in the nail beds. A higher grade indicates more nail toxicity.

Comfort with the study intervention will be assessed on a 4-point scale, (0=dissatisfied; 1=not satisfied; 2=satisfied; 3=very satisfied) with 3 indicating a better outcome.

Study participants will be assessed for development of sensory neurological dysfunction. Vibration perception will be assessed using a tuning fork. Vibration threshold will be tested on the bilateral dorsum of the distal interphalangeal joint of the index finger and dorsum of the interphalangeal joint of the hallux. Subjects will be asked to indicate when the vibration stimulus is initially felt (perception threshold) and when the stimulus disappears (disappearance threshold.) The vibration perception threshold is the average of three paired measurements.

Evaluation of other sensory endpoints including touch, pressure and pain will be evaluated using a Neuropen. Touch and pressure sensation will be assessed using a 10-g monofilament on the subject's dominant foot. Pain and subjective sharpness sensation will be assessed using the Neuropen on the dominant foot. The spring mechanism is calibrated to exert a force of 40 grams to help identify subjects with loss of pain sensation. Ten points on the foot are tested. If the participant detects pain and pressure on less than 8 points, pain and pressure perception are considered diminished. Perception on 8 points of the foot or greater is considered a better outcome.

The 'timed get up and go' test is a rapid and widely used clinical performance-based measure of lower extremity function, mobility, and fall risk. Subjects are asked to stand up from a standard chair (seat height between 44 and 47 cm), walk a distance of 3 m (marked on the floor) at a comfortable pace, turn, walk back and sit down. Time will be measured in seconds. Shorter times indicate better performance.

Balance will be assessed using the tandem and unipedal stance test. In this assessment, the subject stands with one foot in front of the other (heel to toe) (30 seconds), then on one leg with: eyes open (60 seconds), eyes closed (30 seconds), and eyes open with head rotation (30 seconds) with arms held comfortably at the side. The test was accepted failure when the stance foot shifted in any way or the nonstance foot touched the ground. Tests are recorded as achieved (yes) or not achieved (no).

The number of participants who adhered to the intervention. Adherence is defined as wearing the assigned gloves and socks for greater than or equal to 80% of infusions.