Which of the following describes sensory symptoms associated with CIPN?

• A. Numbness, tingling, burning sensations, pain, heightened sensitivity to touch, and loss of proprioception.
• B. Hearing loss and tinnitus.
• C. Visual disturbances.
• D. Shortness of breath.

Answer: (A)

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy primarily involves sensory nerve damage, so it shows up as changes you can feel rather than problems with other body systems. Numbness and tingling (paresthesias) reflect loss or alteration of sensation. Burning sensations and heightened sensitivity to touch (hyperesthesia) are classic neuropathic pain and allodynia that patients often report. Loss of proprioception, or awareness of limb position, can affect balance and coordination. Together, these sensory symptoms map to how CIPN damages the nerves that carry information about touch, pain, temperature, and position from the limbs to the brain.

Hearing loss and tinnitus involve the auditory system, not typical CIPN sensory neuropathy. Visual disturbances relate to the visual system, and shortness of breath points to respiratory or systemic issues, not the peripheral sensory nerves affected in CIPN.