Translational cancer research | 2021
The efficacy of gabapentin combined with opioids for neuropathic cancer pain: a meta-analysis
Abstract
Neuropathic cancer pain is defined as pain resulting from nerve injury or compression by tumor infiltration or anticancer treatment (i.e., chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation therapy), including at least one of the following symptoms or signs referred to the pain area: continuous sensory disturbance (e.g., dysesthesia, hyperesthesia, allodynia, burning pain), or incidental pain (e.g., shooting, lancinating pain) (1-3). Currently, opioid analgesics are regarded as the first-line drugs to alleviate pain intensity. However, opioids are unable to achieve satisfactory efficacies in relieving neuropathic cancer pain due to drug tolerance and adverse effects. Based on the World Health Organization threestep analgesic ladder, anticonvulsant drugs are suggested to be adjuvants to opioids for enhancing analgesic effects and/ Original Article