Observational Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Oncol. Apr 24, 2025; 16(4): 104827
Published online Apr 24, 2025. doi: 10.5306/wjco.v16.i4.104827
Evaluating pregabalin in cancer patients with chronic neuropathic pain and depression: an observational case series
Pinaki Chakraborty, Mrinal Borgohain
Pinaki Chakraborty, Department of Oncology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati 781007, Assam, India
Mrinal Borgohain, Medical Affairs, MSN Laboratories, Hyderabad 500084, Telangāna, India
Author contributions: Chakraborty P, in his capacity as the principal investigator, assumed a pivotal role in orchestrating the entire research endeavor, providing strategic guidance, conceptualizing the study framework, and ensuring the alignment of research objectives with methodological rigor. His leadership was instrumental in steering the project through its various phases, from the initial design to the formulation of hypotheses, and overseeing the execution and interpretation of results, thereby shaping the study's overall direction and integrity; Borgohain M, as the co-investigator, played an equally indispensable role in the study’s success. His responsibilities extended to the meticulous crafting of the manuscript, where his expertise in scholarly writing was evident in the precise articulation of the research findings and their theoretical implications. Moreover, his analytical prowess was central to the data analysis process, where he deployed advanced statistical methodologies to extract meaningful insights from complex datasets. Through his contributions, Dr. Borgohain ensured that the study adhered to the highest standards of scientific rigor, both in terms of its analytical robustness and its intellectual presentation.
Institutional review board statement: The aforementioned project has been reviewed and approved by the Committee on Human Rights Related to Research Involving Human Subjects, based on the Declaration of Helsinki.
Informed consent statement: I have read and understood the information presented in this informed consent form. I have been given the opportunity to ask questions and have received answers to my satisfaction. I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I may withdraw at any time without consequence. By signing this form, I give my consent to participate in the observational case series study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.
STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement-checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement-checklist of items.
Data sharing statement: sharing statement: Data will be shared as and when required.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Mrinal Borgohain, MD, Medical Affairs, MSN Laboratories, H. No. 2-91/10 & 11/MSN, Whitefields, Kondapur, Hyderabad 500084, Telangāna, India. mrinal.borgohain@msnlabs.com
Received: January 8, 2025
Revised: February 17, 2025
Accepted: March 4, 2025
Published online: April 24, 2025
Processing time: 78 Days and 5.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: The study found that pregabalin significantly reduced both pain intensity and depression severity in terminal cancer patients. Pain levels, as measured by the brief pain inventory, saw a 47.4% reduction, while depressive symptoms, assessed using the Hamilton depression rating scale, experienced a similar reduction of 47.0%. Side effects were manageable, with no severe adverse effects reported. These findings indicate that pregabalin holds promise as a treatment option to improve the quality of life in terminal cancer patients, though further research is needed to substantiate these results.