The Effect of Electrostimulation and Compression Applications on Neuropathy Symptoms and Quality of Life in the Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Gastrointestinal System Cancer Patients Receiving Oxaliplatin-Based Treatment

This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of electrostimulation and compression applications on the severity, number, and pain levels of neuropathy symptoms and the quality of life of patients with metastatic gastrointestinal cancer receiving oxaliplatin-based treatment in the management of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The study population consisted of patients with gastrointestinal cancer between 2025-2026 . Data collection tools were administered to patients who met the inclusion criteria and developed chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Patients were then stratified by age and gender and assigned to "control group, electrostimulation group, compression group, and electrostimulation+compression group" using block randomization. Statistical power analysis determined the total number of participants in the study as 140 patients, with 35 patients in each group. Patients in the control group benefited from the clinic's standard procedures and received no intervention

Data collection was carried out using the "Patient Demographic Form," the National Cancer Institute CTCAE v5.0 toxicity criteria, the EORTC QLQ-C30 General Quality of Life Scale, the EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy Scale, and the Neuropathic Pain Assessment Scale (DN4). The measurement tools used in the study were administered a total of six times (in each cycle): "initial follow-up (2nd cycle, before intervention), 3rd cycle, 4th cycle, 5th cycle, 6th cycle, and 6th month." As a result of the interventions applied to the patients, statistically significant differences were found between the TENS, TENS+Compression, and Compression intervention groups compared to the Control group in terms of General Quality of Life, severity and number of symptoms due to peripheral neuropathy, and pain level (p\<0.05). In conclusion, it can be said that TENS and Compression applications positively contribute to pain, symptom severity, and symptom number caused by peripheral neuropathy in gastrointestinal cancer patients who developed peripheral neuropathy due to oxaliplatin.