According to a study published in Nature Communications, gabapentin, an anticonvulsant and pain reliever, is linked to higher survival rates for glioblastoma patients.
Glioblastoma is one of the most deadly and aggressive types of brain cancer. It is known to be the primary cause of most adult primary brain tumors, with approximately 12,000 new cases reported annually in the United States.
The majority of patients live only 12 to 14 months after diagnosis and 5.5 months after recurrence, and the overall survival rate has hardly changed over the past few decades. The research team examined the treatment outcomes of 693 glioblastoma patients, most of whom were taking gabapentin for neuralgia.
According to the study, patients who took the medication lived an average of 16 months, while those who did not lived an average of 12 months. In another cohort study involving 379 glioblastoma patients, those who took gabapentin lived an average of 20.8 months, compared to 14.7 months for those who did not. The researchers concluded that gabapentin use might increase glioblastoma patients’ chances of survival.
However, to confirm the impact of gabapentin administration on the survival rate of glioblastoma, the researchers noted that these studies were retrospective and that a larger prospective cohort study is required.
Most Commented