Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40019561›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Efficacy of prophylactic gabapentin in managing oral mucositis pain in patients undergoing non-surgical management of head and neck tumors.

Virda Baig, Shehla F Hashmi, Maryam Altuhafy, Junad Khan

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Efficacy of prophylactic gabapentin in managing oral mucositis pain in patients undergoing non-surgical management of head and neck tumors.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Virda BaigDepartment of Orofacial Pain and TMJ Disorders, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester, 625 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA.
Shehla F HashmiDepartment of Orofacial Pain and TMJ Disorders, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester, 625 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA.
Maryam AltuhafyDepartment of Orofacial Pain and TMJ Disorders, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester, 625 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7025-5728
Junad KhanDepartment of Orofacial Pain and TMJ Disorders, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, University of Rochester, 625 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14620, USA. junad_khan@urmc.rochester.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3107-6118

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of prophylactic gabapentin in managing pain related to mucositis developed in patients with head and neck tumors undergoing chemoradiation.

methodsAn electronic search of indexed databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ISI Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, was performed without time restriction until April 2024. Risk of Bias (RoB) assessment was conducted using the Cochrane tool. This study was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42024550242).

resultsAn initial electronic and manual search revealed 1,786,350 manuscripts. Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included following the eligibility criteria. In one study, gabapentin was statistically significant in reducing pain; however, a positive trend was observed in three studies with no statistical significance. Four studies showed a trend either in reduction or a delay in opioid usage. The overall quality of life was significantly improved in one study, whereas a positive trend was observed in two studies and neutral in two. Future standardized studies with larger sample sizes are required to understand better the effectiveness of gabapentin in patients undergoing cancer management of the head and neck region.

conclusionOverall, there was a positive trend in reducing oral mucositis-related pain in patients undergoing chemoradiation of the head and neck region, with only one study reaching statistical significance. Gabapentin also demonstrated effectiveness in reducing opioid dependency, delaying opioid initiation, and managing early pain, with tolerable side effects in most studies and improving the overall quality of life. Future studies with standardized protocols and higher sample sizes are required to validate these results further.

Indexed as

AnalgesicsGabapentinHead and Neck NeoplasmsPainStomatitisChemoradiotherapyHumansQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicAnalgesicsGabapentinChemotherapyGabapentinHead and neck tumorsRadiation mucositisRadiotherapy

Identifiers

PMID40019561

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.