Common pain drug may add months to brain cancer survival, researchers find

Glioblastoma is a devastating type of brain cancer that has a very poor prognosis, with a five-year survival rate of just 6.9%. However, a new study has shed light on a potential treatment option that could extend survival for patients with this aggressive disease.

Researchers at Mass General Brigham have discovered that gabapentin, a medication commonly used to relieve pain and treat seizures, may be linked to improved survival in patients with glioblastoma. The findings of this study, which were published in Nature Communications, suggest that patients who were taking gabapentin lived longer than those who were not.

The study, led by Dr. Joshua Bernstock, a clinical fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, analyzed the medical outcomes of nearly 700 patients with glioblastoma. Many of these patients were already taking gabapentin to manage nerve pain.

The results were striking — patients who were taking gabapentin survived an average of four months longer than those who were not taking the drug. This survival benefit was found to be statistically significant, highlighting the potential of gabapentin as a therapeutic option for glioblastoma patients.

Further research conducted in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) confirmed these findings. Among the 379 patients at UCSF, those who were taking gabapentin lived an average of 20.8 months, compared to 14.7 months for those not taking the drug.

One interesting observation made by the researchers was the lower levels of a protein called TSP-1 in the blood serum of patients taking gabapentin. This protein has been linked to tumor growth and progression, suggesting that gabapentin may have a role in targeting the neural-tumor axis in glioblastoma.

While these findings are promising, Dr. Bernstock emphasized the need for larger prospective clinical trials to validate the results and further investigate the role of gabapentin in glioblastoma progression. He also highlighted the importance of not changing clinical practice based on these findings alone, as more research is needed to confirm the benefits of gabapentin in this setting.

Glioblastoma is a devastating disease that claims the lives of thousands of Americans each year. With very few advances in survival rates over the past few decades, the potential of gabapentin as a treatment option offers hope for patients battling this aggressive form of brain cancer.

As research continues to explore the role of gabapentin in glioblastoma treatment, there is renewed optimism for improving outcomes for patients facing this challenging diagnosis. While more work is needed to fully understand the benefits of gabapentin in this setting, the potential of this pain-relieving drug to extend survival in glioblastoma patients is a promising development in the fight against this deadly disease.