Tapentadol in neuropathic pain cancer patients: a prospective open label study.

Abstract

Many chemotherapy treatments induce peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). These patients often experience neuropathic pain (NP) that reduces the quality of life. The aim of this prospective, open label study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of tapentadol (TP) in patients affected by CIPN. CIPN were consecutively enrolled in a prospective open label study at the Neuro-Oncology Unit of the Regina Elena National Cancer Institute in Rome. During the titration phase, each patient initially received doses of TP 50 mg twice a day. All patients underwent pain intensity (NRS) and DN4. For evaluation of quality of life, patients underwent EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-CIPN2 QLQ-CIPN20. We enrolled 31 patients, 19 were females with a median age of 60 years. After 3 months of treatment with TP, 22 patients completed the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). Nineteen patients out of 22 showed a response to treatment (86%). We also observed that TP reduced the NRS and DN4 values from baseline to the last visit in a significant way (p < 0.001, respectively). Seven patients (22.5%) discontinued the TP therapy after the first week of occurrence of side effects. Furthermore, we observed that TP improved also the global health status measured by EORT QLQ-C30. TP is well tolerated and efficacy in the treatment of NP. The important reduction of neuropathic pain, the improvement in NRS and QoL scores after therapy with TP makes it a candidate in the management of patients suffering from neuropathic pain of CIPN also as a first line of therapy.

• Authors: Edvina Galiè, Veronica Villani, Irene Terrenato, Andrea Pace
• Journal: Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology (Neurol Sci) Vol. 38 Issue 10 Pg. 1747-1752 (Oct 2017) ISSN: 1590-3478 [Electronic] Italy
• PMID: 28699105 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Analgesics, Opioid
• Antineoplastic Agents
• Phenols
• Tapentadol

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Analgesics, Opioid (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Antineoplastic Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Cancer Pain (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Neoplasms (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Neuralgia (drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Pain Measurement
• Peripheral Nervous System Diseases (chemically induced, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Phenols (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Prospective Studies
• Quality of Life
• Tapentadol
• Treatment Outcome