Background and aims
The efficacy of celiac plexus neurolysis (CPN) with EUS guidance (EUS-CPN) has not
been confirmed in the era of developed opioids. The aim of this study was to evaluate
the efficacy of EUS-CPN for patients with pancreatic cancer–associated pain to compare
medication using oxycodone and/or fentanyl with and without EUS-CPN.
Methods
In this randomized control study involving patients who underwent EUS-CPN and those
who did not, pain, quality of life (QOL), and opioid consumption were compared. Standard
medicinal treatment using oxycodone and/or fentanyl was performed for both groups.
The primary endpoint was defined as the pain evaluated by using a visual analog scale
(VAS) rated from a 0 to 10, 4 weeks after the baseline.
Results
For 48 registered patients, the outcomes of 24 patients in the EUS-CPN group and 22
patients in the control group were analyzed. EUS-CPN was successfully performed and
did not induce severe procedure-related adverse events for all patients in the EUS-CPN
group. Although the average pain VAS scores for both groups significantly decreased
in comparison with baseline, scores were not statistically different between the groups
at week 4 (1.3 ± 1.3 for the EUS-CPN group vs 2.3 ± 2.3 for the control group, P = .10). There was no statistical difference or tendency in favor of EUS-CPN at evaluation
points of weeks 1, 2, 8, and 12. Moreover, the average VAS scores for QOL and the
average opioid consumption between the groups were not different at all evaluation
points.
Conclusions
EUS-CPN for patients with pancreatic cancer–associated pain did not appear to improve
pain, QOL, or opioid consumption compared with those who did not undergo EUS-CPN and
medicated with oxycodone/fentanyl. Although EUS-CPN can be an option, it was not found
to have a large enough impact to be routinely performed for all patients with pain.
(Clinical trial registration number: UMIN 000037172.)
Abbreviations:
CI (confidence interval), CPN (celiac plexus neurolysis), EUS-CPN (EUS-guided CPN), QOL (quality of life), SMA (superior mesenteric artery), UICC (Union for International Cancer Control), VAS (visual analog scale)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 14, 2020
Accepted:
January 2,
2020
Received:
October 10,
2019
Footnotes
DISCLOSURE: All authors disclosed no financial relationships.
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
ScienceDirect
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