2006-07: Project Two
Does gabapentin relieve neuropathic pain in bone cancer patients?
Dr. Monique Mayer, Dr. Candace Grier, Erica Collen and Tara Shymko of WCVM, and Dr. Susan LaRue of Colorado State University
Researchers from WCVM and Colorado State University are investigating the addition of the drug gabapentin to treat bone pain in canine patients undergoing palliative therapy for appendicular osteosarcoma.
Veterinarians use radiation therapy, opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat the pain associated with this type of primary bone cancer, but these therapies may not effectively treat neuropathic pain caused by peripheral nerve damage. Gabapentin, which is used to treat epilepsy and neuropathic pain in humans, may increase the level of pain relief and patients’ quality of life.
During the next 18 months, researchers will conduct a clinical trial to assess pain and quality of life scores in dogs that receive palliative radiation therapy and gabapentin, as well as those patients that receive radiation therapy with no gabapentin.
