Neuropathic Pain Caused by Radiation Therapy

British Columbia Cancer Agency22 enrolled

Overview

To investigate if topical amitriptyline 2%, ketamine 1%, and lidocaine 5% in pluronic lecitine organogel (AKL in PLO gel) can improve management of neuropathic pain from radiation skin reactions adjunctively or better than standard treatment.

1. Topical amitriptyline and ketamine and topical lidocaine alone have been shown to improve management of neuropathic pain in nonmalignant subjects. Anecdotal experience has shown improvement in use of all three topical drugs combined in radiation skin reactions. There currently is no research evidence for the use of all three compounded interventions. This study aims to target subjects with pain from radiation therapy who are not receiving adequate relief with standard interventions and may be eligible to receive this alternate intervention. 2. Hypothesis:Topical AKL in PLO gel can effectively and safely reduce neuropathic pain experienced by patients with radiotherapy induced skin reactions. 3. Justification: Standard treatment of painful radiation skin reactions such as moist desquamation consists of saline soaks, silver sulfadiazine and oral analgesics. However, sometimes the pain exceeds this standard intervention, patients are sulfa allergic or patients are intolerant to oral analgesics such as opioids. AKL in PLO gel is targeted for neuropathic pain and may be used alternatively to standard interventions. The participation rate will help to further estimate the feasibility of a larger sample size study to look at efficacy.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Neuropathic Pain Secondary to Radiation Therapy

Interventions

topical amitriptyline 2%, ketamine 1%, and lidocaine 5% in pluronic lecitine organogel(AKL in PLO gel)DRUG

Subjects will be taught to apply topical 2%amitriptyline, 1% ketamine and 5% lidocaine(AKL) in PLO gel to the sites of maximum neuropathic pain three times per day for up to 2 weeks after completion of radiotherapy.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Age greater or equal to 18 years with ability to provide written informed consent. * Subjects currently receiving radiation therapy or having completed radiotherapy in less than 4 weeks from study entry, who have developed skin reactions that are painful. * Radiation skin reaction pain has qualities of burning as scored on UWNPS of 1 or more * Skin toxicity Assessment Tool showing dry desquamation or worse * Presence of objective dynamic allodynia and/or pinprick hyperalgesia as assessed by physician * Subjects show less than 1 point decrease in UWNPS after 2 days of using standard intervention. * Subjects are allergic or intolerant to standard intervention. * Subjects must be available by telephone 2 and 6 weeks after RT treatment is completed. Exclusion Criteria: * Allergy to amitriptyline, ketamine or lidocaine * Untreated severe major depression * Ongoing use of monoamine oxidase inhibitor * Pain from another source as severe or greater than the pain under study * Evidence of another type of neuropathic pain not included in this study. * Normal cognitive and communicative ability as judged by clinical assessment and ability to complete self-report questionnaires * Not pregnant or breastfeeding

Locations (1)

BC Cancer Agency Vancouver Island BCCA

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

The primary outcome measure will to use the validated University of Washington Neuropathic Pain Scale (UWNPS) on all radiation skin reaction subjects requiring standard intervention.

Time frame: University of Washington Neuropathic Pain scale will be conducted at the time of assessment, every 2-5 days while on radiotherapy, week 2 and 6 weeks post radiotherapy.

Secondary Outcomes

Skin Toxicity Assessment Tool (STAT)

Time frame: Presence of dry desquamation or worse on STAT at baseline assessment, complete STAT 30 minutes post application of cream, every 2-5 days while on radiotherapy, week 2 and 6 weeks after completing radiation therapy.

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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