Abstract
IntroductionNeuropathic pain occurs in 1% of the population and is difficult to manage. This chronic pain causes psychological distress and impacts patient's quality of life, especially in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to show and compare the efficacy of pregabalin and duloxetine, which are reported in the group of first‐line treatment at European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) guidelines on the pharmacological treatment of neuropathic pain (2010 revision) in lung cancer patients by using visual analogue scale (VAS) and Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Sign (LANSS).Patients and MethodsA prospective, randomized, open label, 3 month of study was conducted. A total of 44 patients that were diagnosed with neuropathic pain (14 women and 30 men) were included in the study. Patient's LANSS and VAS values were recorded before treatment. Then, 22 patients undergo pregabalin and 22 patients undergo duloxetine therapy. But due to side effects (dizziness, constipation), two patients had stopped to use pregabalin. Their LANSS and VAS values were recorded after 1 and 3 months of therapy.ResultsWhen we compare LANSS and VAS scores before treatment, after 1 and 3 months of treatment with pregabalin and duloxetine, a significant decrease was observed in both groups at the 1 and 3 months (p < .01). Duloxetine is superior to pregabalin in reducing the LANSS scores when we compare two groups.ConclusionsBoth duloxetine and pregabalin are effective in the treatment of neuropathic pain of lung cancer patients. And as far as we know, this is the first study comparing the efficacy of duloxetine and pregabalin in the neuropathic pain of lung cancer patients.
Highlights
Neuropathic pain occurs in 1% of the population and is difficult to manage
As far as we know, this is the first study comparing the efficacy of duloxetine and pregabalin in the neuropathic pain of lung cancer patients
According to the clinical view, neuropathic pain is related to the etiology of various diseases like cancer or diabetes and it is often associated with comorbid conditions and a lowered quality of life (QoL; Nicholson & Verma, 2004)
Summary
Neuropathic pain occurs in 1% of the population and is difficult to manage. This chronic pain causes psychological distress and impacts patient's quality of life, especially in cancer patients. Due to side effects (dizziness, constipation), two patients had stopped to use pregabalin Their LANSS and VAS values were recorded after 1 and 3 months of therapy. Neuropathic pain is a common symptom of a group of heterogenic diseases including pain-related diseases, central or peripheral nervous system injuries, diabetic neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia, postherpetic neuralgia, and spinal cord injuries. Lung cancer patients experience more symptom distress than patients with other types of cancers This condition is associated with worsening of other symptoms including depression and fatigue, which decreases the quality of life (Nicholson & Verma, 2004)
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