Mercy Health Launches Innovative Clinical Trial to Prevent Chemotherapy Nerve Damage in Cancer Patients

Chemotherapy nerve damage has long been one of the most challenging and overlooked side effects of cancer treatment, often leaving patients struggling with painful symptoms that can persist long after their therapy ends. Now, a promising new clinical trial in the Springfield area is offering hope by exploring an innovative way to reduce this debilitating condition. The initiative could mark a meaningful turning point in how cancer patients experience treatment.

A New Hope for Cancer Patients in Springfield

Mercy Health’s Springfield Cancer Center and Urbana Cancer Center have officially joined a clinical trial aimed at addressing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, commonly referred to as CIPN. This condition involves nerve damage caused by chemotherapy and frequently leads to symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness in the hands and feet.

For many patients, these symptoms go far beyond mild discomfort. Tasks that most people take for granted, including walking, typing, getting dressed, or even holding a coffee cup, can become extremely difficult. In some cases, the nerve damage continues long after chemotherapy ends, sometimes permanently affecting a person’s quality of life.

Why This Trial Matters

Until now, options for preventing CIPN have been very limited. Most patients undergoing chemotherapy simply have to hope they avoid the condition or manage the symptoms after they appear. That gap in care is exactly what this new clinical trial is trying to close.

Lisa Gibson, Director of Oncology at Mercy Health Springfield, explained that the trial represents an important step forward in patient-centered cancer care. According to her, the goal is not only to fight cancer effectively but also to make the treatment journey easier and protect patients’ overall well-being.

Introducing the Lilac Glove and Boot Device

At the heart of the trial is a device known as the Lilac Glove and Boot. Designed to apply gentle pressure to a patient’s hands and feet during chemotherapy infusions, the device is based on the idea that targeted compression may reduce blood flow to those areas. By limiting how much chemotherapy reaches the nerves in the hands and feet, researchers hope to lower the risk of nerve damage occurring in the first place.

Chaundra Foss-Blizard, an Oncology Clinical Research Nurse involved in the study, emphasized just how essential it is to preserve hand and foot function during treatment. According to her, most people don’t fully appreciate how dependent they are on their hands and feet until something interferes with them. Maintaining that everyday function, she said, could make a tremendous difference for patients fighting cancer.

About the IMPACT Clinical Trial

The study is officially called the IMPACT clinical trial and is listed nationally as The Lilac Device Trial. It is being conducted in partnership with Luminate, the company that developed the device. Lalita Kota, Director of Clinical Operations at Luminate, noted that many patients are unaware of how serious peripheral neuropathy can be until they experience it firsthand.

She described peripheral neuropathy as a devastating side effect of chemotherapy and expressed excitement about offering this potential preventive option to patients in the Springfield area. Since no proven solutions currently exist to stop CIPN before it begins, this trial represents a meaningful advancement in oncology care.

How the Trial Works

Patients who qualify for the trial will use either the active compression device or a comparison device during their chemotherapy sessions. Throughout the duration of the study, the care team will closely monitor each participant, paying careful attention to symptoms, side effects, and overall progress.

By participating, patients will not only have access to a potentially groundbreaking preventive tool but will also contribute valuable data that could help shape better cancer treatment standards for the future. Trials like this often pave the way for innovations that can eventually benefit patients across the country and around the world.

A Commitment to Bringing Advanced Care Closer to Home

This new initiative is part of Mercy Health’s broader effort to expand access to advanced cancer treatments in the local community. The Springfield Cancer Center has provided care to patients in the region for more than two decades, building a reputation for compassionate, high-quality oncology services. The Urbana Cancer Center, which opened last year, has further expanded access to specialized care for cancer patients in surrounding communities.

By participating in cutting-edge clinical research like this trial, Mercy Health is demonstrating its commitment to staying at the forefront of cancer treatment innovation. Patients no longer need to travel long distances or to major metropolitan hospitals to take part in important research opportunities.

A Step Toward Better Quality of Life

For people facing a cancer diagnosis, the prospect of chemotherapy can be intimidating, especially when long-lasting side effects like nerve damage are added to the equation. Tools like the Lilac Glove and Boot, if proven effective, could fundamentally change what life during and after chemotherapy looks like.

Imagine being able to complete cancer treatment without losing the ability to comfortably hold a pen, button a shirt, or take a long walk. That is the kind of future this trial is working toward, and it is one that has the potential to redefine cancer care in profound ways.

How to Get Involved

Patients who are currently undergoing chemotherapy or are about to begin treatment and want to learn more about the IMPACT trial are encouraged to speak directly with their oncology care team. Eligibility will be determined based on specific medical criteria, and the care team can help guide patients through the enrollment process if they qualify.

Participation in clinical research can feel like a big step, but for many patients, it offers both personal benefit and the satisfaction of contributing to scientific progress that may help countless others in the future.

Looking Ahead

The launch of this clinical trial in the Springfield area is more than just a local healthcare update. It is part of a much larger movement in oncology focused on treating the whole person, not just the disease. By pairing effective cancer treatment with thoughtful symptom prevention, the medical community is reimagining what successful cancer care can truly look like.

For now, patients, doctors, and researchers alike will be watching this trial closely, hopeful that the simple act of slipping on a specialized glove and boot during chemotherapy could one day become a powerful new standard of care.