Effectiveness of gabapentin in reducing opioid requirements after radiation in head and neck cancer in a single institution.

BACKGROUND

Gabapentin has been shown to reduce opioid use in head and neck cancer patients. Here, we examine the efficacy of prophylactic gabapentin at reducing opioid use in these patients at our institution.

METHODS

A retrospective study of patients receiving radiation was performed, using patients from our previous study as controls. Risk factors for opioid use at 3 and 6 months were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

In total, 53/185 patients were treated with gabapentin, 39.6% of which took opioids at 3 months vs. 58.3% in the non-gabapentin cohort (p = 0.021). Gabapentin was independently associated with less opioid use on multivariate analysis at 3 months (OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.24-0.9). Gastrostomy tube dependence and pretreatment opioid use were associated with chronic opioid use despite gabapentin.

CONCLUSIONS

Gabapentin is effective at expediting opioid tapering in head and neck cancer patients who are not gastrostomy tube dependent or taking opioids pretreatment.