Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34131845›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2021

Gabapentin enhances the antinociceptive effect of intrathecal morphine in refractory cancer pain patients.

Lei Teng, Junzhu Dai, Hongxue Shao, Liuyuan Zhao, Shiyan Lin, Wenhui Zhang, Huichao Zou

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Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 29% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. The role of combined adjuvant therapeutic drugs in modulating opioid dosage and pain status in cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Pooled it
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Lei TengDepartment of Pain Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Rd, Harbin, China.
Junzhu DaiDepartment of Pain Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Rd, Harbin, China.
Hongxue ShaoDepartment of Pain Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Rd, Harbin, China.
Liuyuan ZhaoDepartment of Pain Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Rd, Harbin, China.
Shiyan LinDepartment of Pain Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Rd, Harbin, China.
Wenhui ZhangDepartment of Pain Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Rd, Harbin, China.
Huichao ZouDepartment of Pain Medicine, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, 150 Haping Rd, Harbin, China. zouhuichao@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8976-0262
Harbin Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMorphine infusion through Intrathecal Drug Delivery System (IDDS) is widely used to relieve refractory cancer pain. However, continuous escalation of morphine dose caused by opioid tolerance and/or progress of cancer was commonly observed. Combining morphine with medications of different analgesic mechanisms is applied to blunt the rate of morphine increase. The purpose of this study was to determine the analgesic efficacy and safety of combining gabapentin with morphine after IDDS implantation.

methodsThis study compared patients that received IDDS implantation from January 1, 2017 to November 10, 2018 in our institute. Key outcomes included change in mean pain score, dose of morphine used in patients, percentage of patients with 30% and 50% reduction in mean pain score, Patient Global Impression of Change scores, breakthrough pain characters and side effects.

results34 patients in the combination group (morphine + gabapentin) and 40 patients in the monotherapy group(morphine)were analyzed. The results showed that both therapy groups achieved similar analgesic efficacy, demonstrated by Numerical rating scale (2.42 ± 0.88 vs 2.57 ± 0.85; Combination vs Monotherapy), PGIC and responder status. Mean daily dose of morphine was significantly lower in combination group compared to monotherapy group (3.54 ± 1.29 mg vs 4.64 ± 1.28 mg, P = 0.007). More patients experienced dizziness and somnolence after receiving combination therapy compared to morphine-alone treatment although no statistical significance was found (P = 0.49).

conclusionAddition of gabapentin achieved similar analgesic efficacy with lower dose of morphine compared to morphine alone accompanying with higher incidence of dizziness and somnolence.

Indexed as

Cancer PainGabapentinIntractable PainMorphineAnalgesicsAnalgesics, OpioidDrug ToleranceHumansNeoplasmsAnalgesicsAnalgesics, OpioidGabapentinMorphineGabapentinIDDSMorphineRefractory cancer pain

Identifiers

PMID34131845
OpenAlexW3170790794

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.