@jim1234 It has been shown that doing cold therapy using the neoprene booties and mitts has led to preventing chemo induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Most of the comprehensive cancer centers are familiar with the technique and how it provides for a better patient experience and quality of life.

It is very sad when a medical facility-usually small hospitals and regional medical center staff with little experience in treating pancreatic cancer tells a patient based on ignorance they don’t do the procedure. It is not the medical staff that will suffer from CIPN, but the patient and possibly with permanent damage to the peripheral nerves.

This week I am in Philadelphia at the ECOG-ACRIN cancer meetings and I asked many of the pancreatic cancer oncologists in attendance if they let their patients do cold therapy. The response was an overwhelming yes and the reasons given were it works, provides for a better quality of life and a treatment experience where the patient is more likely to complete the prescribed cycles to gain the most benefit from treatment. If I found myself in the situation of being told they don’t do the technique, I’d do it and if I was told it would not be permitted, I would find a treatment center such as an NCI or NPF comprehensive cancer center that understands to purpose and benefit of the technique.

In 2012 when I did treatment with Folfirinox, cold therapy was not yet known in the pancreatic cancer treatment realm. Fortunately I had an oncologist who can think outside the box. Because he was concerned with CIPN that could be permanent, he did my dosing in groups of six starting with full-dose Folfirinox and then the next six were done with just 5-FU. This 3 month alternate dosing break was enough to prevent neuropathy from becoming severe, debilitating and permanent. Still it did not start to improve until 2.5 years after chemo ended and took a full 7.5 years to resolve. Having neuropathy in the feet is not a pleasant experience as those who experienced it. If the treatment facility is going to prevent you from doing something that as a result will negatively impact your quality of life, I would serious give thought to going to another treatment facility focused on providing a higher level of care.