Published in:
12-04-2022 | Opioids | Original Article
Efficacy of EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis in combination with EUS-guided celiac ganglia neurolysis for pancreatic cancer-associated pain: a multicenter prospective trial
Published in: International Journal of Clinical Oncology | Issue 7/2022
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Objectives
This study evaluated the efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN) in combination with EUS-guided celiac ganglia neurolysis (EUS-CGN) for pancreatic cancer-associated pain.
Methods
This multicenter prospective trial was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN000031228). Fifty-one consecutive patients with pancreatic cancer-associated pain who presented at one of five Japanese referral centers between February 2018 and March 2021 were enrolled. EUS-CGN was added in cases of visible celiac ganglia. The primary endpoint was effectiveness, defined as a decrease in the numerical rating scale (NRS) by ≥ 3 points. NRS data were prospectively acquired at 1 week after the procedure to evaluate its effectiveness and the extent of pain relief.
Results
The technical success rates of EUS-CPN and EUS-CGN were 100% and 80.4%, respectively. The overall efficacy rate was 82.4% [90% confidence interval (CI) 71.2–90.5, P < 0.0001]. The complete pain relief rate was 27.4%. The adverse events rate was 15.7%. The average pain relief period was 72 days. The efficacy rate was higher in the EUS-CPN plus EUS-CGN group than in the EUS-CPN alone group. EUS-CPN plus EUS-CGN was superior to EUS-CPN alone for achieving complete pain relief (P = 0.045). EUS-CGN did not improve the average length of the pain relief period.
Conclusions
EUS-CPN combined with EUS-CGN is safe, feasible, and effective for pain relief in patients with pancreatic cancer. The patients who received additional EUS-CGN had a better short-term response.
Clinical trial number
UMIN000031228.