Effectiveness of Opioid vs Pregabalin Plus Naproxen Sodium in Pain Management of Oral Cancer Patients

May 19, 2026 updated by: Adeel Ahmed, Mayo Hospital Lahore

This randomized clinical study was designed to compare two pain treatment approaches for adults with oral cancer who had moderate to severe pain. Oral cancer pain may occur because of tumor growth, local tissue damage, inflammation, ulceration, or nerve involvement. Standard pain treatment often includes opioid medicines, but these medicines may cause side effects such as sedation, nausea, constipation, dizziness, tolerance, or dependence. In some patients, pain may also have a nerve-related or inflammatory component, where medicines such as pregabalin and naproxen sodium may provide additional benefit.

A total of 98 eligible adult patients with histopathology-confirmed oral cancer and a baseline Visual Analog Scale pain score of 4 or more were included. Patients were randomly assigned into two treatment groups. One group received oral tramadol 50 mg every 4 hours, with dose adjustment according to pain relief and tolerability. The other group received oral pregabalin 75 mg twice daily with naproxen sodium 550 mg twice daily. Both treatments were given for 7 days under clinical monitoring.

Pain intensity was measured using the Visual Analog Scale at baseline, day 3, and day 7. The main outcome was the mean reduction in pain score from baseline to day 7. Effective pain relief was defined as at least 50% reduction in the baseline pain score after 7 days of treatment. Side effects such as sedation, nausea or vomiting, constipation, dizziness, and gastrointestinal discomfort were also recorded. Patient satisfaction with pain control was assessed at the end of treatment.

Study Overview

Status

Enrolling by invitation

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

98

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54000
        • Mayo Hospital, Lahore

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients aged 18 years or older
  • Histopathology confirmed diagnosis of oral cancer
  • Experiencing moderate to severe pain (VAS ≥ 4)
  • Either opioid-naïve or off opioids for at least one week
  • Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known allergy to morphine, pregabalin, or NSAIDs
  • History of renal impairment, gastrointestinal bleeding, or peptic ulcer disease
  • Concurrent use of other strong analgesics
  • Psychiatric illness or cognitive impairment interfering with pain assessment
  • Pregnancy or lactation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Group A Tramadol
Received oral tramadol 50 mg every 4 hours for pain management. Dose titration was done according to pain relief and tolerability. Treatment was continued for 7 days with clinical monitoring for pain response and adverse effects.
Drug: Tramadol
Oral tramadol 50 mg was administered every 4 hours for 7 days. Dose adjustment was made according to clinical response and tolerability.
Experimental: Group B Pregabalin Plus Naproxen Sodium
Received oral pregabalin 75 mg twice daily along with oral naproxen sodium 550 mg twice daily for pain management. Treatment was continued for 7 days with clinical monitoring for pain response and adverse effects.
Drug: Pregabalin + Naproxen Sodium
Oral pregabalin 75 mg was administered twice daily for 7 days. Oral naproxen sodium 550 mg was administered twice daily for 7 days.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Mean Change in Visual Analog Scale Pain Score From Baseline to Day 7
Time Frame: Baseline and Day 7
Pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicated no pain and 10 indicated the worst imaginable pain. The mean change in pain score was calculated by subtracting the day 7 Visual Analog Scale score from the baseline Visual Analog Scale score. A greater positive change indicated greater reduction in pain intensity. The mean change was compared between the tramadol group and the pregabalin plus naproxen sodium group.
Baseline and Day 7

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Effective Pain Relief at Day 7
Time Frame: Baseline to Day 7
Effective pain relief was defined as at least 50% reduction in the baseline Visual Analog Scale pain score after 7 days of treatment. The proportion of participants achieving effective pain relief was compared between the two treatment groups.
Baseline to Day 7
Severity of Adverse Events
Time Frame: Day 0 to Day 7
The severity of adverse events was assessed using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Events were categorized according to severity grade and compared between the treatment groups.
Day 0 to Day 7

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Mayo Hospital Lahore

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Rooshan Tahir Qazi, Mayo Hospital Lahore

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 19, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Mayo6

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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