Evaluation of prophylactic effects of Pregabalin on neuropathic pain in patients with head and neck cancers radiotherapy candidate

Abstract

Since the prevalence of neuropathic pain in patients with head and neck cancers, reciveng radiotherapy is so high, it is necessary to take preventive measures for these patients; According to the mechanisms of pregabalin, it seems that this drug can be effective against neuropathic pain; Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the preventive effects of pregabalin in the occurrence of neuropathic pain in patients with head and neck cancers,reciveng radiotherapy. Methods: This study was conducted as a randomized clinical trial with the participation of 60 patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer and candidates for radiotherapy in Shahid Madani Hospital (affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences). The patients were included in the study by observing the entry/exit criteria and using the accessible sampling method, and after random allocation, they were divided into two intervention and control groups. The intervention group of patients received one Pregabalin Cap (75 mg) orally twice a day (once every twelve hours); the control group patients were prescribed a placebo pill twice a day and once every twelve hours. In addition to pregabalin and placebo drugs, in case of persistante pain, Acetaminophen Codeine tablets (325 mg) were prescribed three times a day (every eight hours) so that their pain would not be ignored from an ethical point of view. In total, the pain intensity of all patients was checked daily. The length of the intervention period was 16 weeks, and at the end of the study, the pain intensity of the patients was compared with each other. Results: The intensity of pain and the use of painkillers from the end of the fourth week onwards in the patients of the control group were significantly higher than the intensity of the pain in the patients of the intervention group (P˂0.05); Among the patients in the intervention group, 3 patients and 11 patients in the control group had neuropathic pain at the end of the study (P=0.013).