Advancing Postoperative Pain Management in Oral Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

The goal of this review is to shed light on the management of orofacial discomfort after a cancer diagnosis in the head and neck region. A search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify studies on postoperative pain control in oral cancer. The review included open-access research, investigations into pain management, randomized clinical trials, retrospective studies, case-control studies, prospective studies, English-written studies, and full-text publications. Exclusion criteria included animal studies; in vitro studies; off-topic studies; reviews, case reports, letters, or comments; and non-English language. Three reviewers independently accessed databases and assigned a quality rating to the chosen articles. The review explores postoperative pain management in oral cancer patients; highlighting persistent opioid use; the efficacy of adjuvant drugs, such as gabapentin; and a multimodal approach. It emphasizes the need for personalized pain management, recognizing individual pain perception and tailoring interventions. Integrating pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies is crucial for comprehensive pain management. The review also serves as a guide for future research, emphasizing the need for standardized methodologies and diverse participant populations.

• Authors: Angelo Michele Inchingolo, Gianna Dipalma, Alessio Danilo Inchingolo, Irene Palumbo, Mariafrancesca Guglielmo, Roberta Morolla, Antonio Mancini, Francesco Inchingolo
• Journal: Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (Pharmaceuticals (Basel)) Vol. 17 Issue 4 (Apr 22 2024) ISSN: 1424-8247 [Print] Switzerland
• PMID: 38675500 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)