Menthol In Neuropathy Trial — MINT  

Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy Clinical Trial

Official title: A Phase II RCT of Topical Menthol Gel Versus Placebo in the Treatment of Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathic Pain

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Patients will be recruited who have peripheral neuropathy due to chemotherapy. They will be given a blinded treatment of gel containing either menthol (3%) or placebo to be applied for 6 weeks, twice a day. Assessments of pain, neuropathic symptoms and impact on quality of life will be done at baseline, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans will be done at baseline and 6 weeks. Physical activity data will also be collected to be analysed in conjunction with pain assessments.

Clinical Trial Description

Modern cancer treatments, while more effective at prolonging life, are associated with some long lasting effects, especially nerve pain. This occurs in up to 90% of patients and 50% of patients still experience nerve pain a year after treatment. Not only is this distressing in itself but the investigators now understand that this treatment-related pain is exacerbating other pains, making cancer pain more difficult to control. The problem with managing nerve pain caused by treatment is that there is no predictable and effective treatment.

Our team has discovered that menthol cream or gel applied to the skin in the area of nerve pain can be effective. This trial seeks to provide better evidence of using this simple, cheap, non-toxic treatment. Participants will be given either menthol gel to the affected area or a placebo gel which smells, looks like and has the same texture as menthol but has no active drug. The gel will be applied twice a day for 6 weeks.

Participants will initially be assessed for pain and its impact on function, mood and quality of life and, if possible, will also have an fMRI scan immediately before starting menthol treatment and after 6 weeks of treatment. They will also have some assessments a further 6 weeks after treatment finishes. As part of impact on function assessment, participants will be asked to wear a physical activity monitor for a few days prior to each of the three main assessment points.

Our group has used special scans of the brain called fMRI to help identify if a treatment has real potential for patients. Sometimes, in early studies of a new treatment, patients can believe that the treatment has a real effect, but in fact it is a placebo effect. FMRI scans in this study will help to identify if menthol gel is having a true pain relieving effect, by comparing the patient's reports of pain with their scan findings. This will be very helpful in aiding the decision of how the research team conduct any future larger clinical trial. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy
• Peripheral Nervous System Diseases

• NCT number: NCT04276727
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: University of Edinburgh
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 2
• Start date: November 4, 2019
• Completion date: March 24, 2022