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Baclofen as an Adjuvant Analgesic for Cancer Pain

Palliative Care Unit, Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama, yomi{at}cancer-c.pref.saitama.jp

Naoki Matsuo, MD

Palliative Care Unit, Saitama Cancer Center, Saitama

Shiro Tomiyasu, MD

Department of Anesthesia, Palliative Care Team, Nagasaki Municipal Hospital, Nagasaki

Tetsusuke Yoshimoto, MD

Palliative Care Team, Social Insurance Chukyo Hospital, Nagoya

Tomohiro Tamaki, MD

Palliative Care Unit, Minami-Seishu Medical Center, Sapporo

Tsutomu Suzuki, PhD

Department of Toxicology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

Motohiro Matoba, MD, PhD

Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine Kitasato University, Sagamihara Japan

Purpose: Baclofen is a g-aminobutyric acid receptor agonist commonly used for managing many types of neuropathic pain. The effect of baclofen on cancer pain has not previously been studied. This retrospective study evaluated the efficacy of baclofen in patients with cancer pain.

Methods: We reviewed the medical records of all patients given baclofen orally as an analgesic for cancer at 5 institutions.

Result: Twenty-five patients received 10 to 40 mg of baclofen for cancer pain relief. Twenty patients have undergone neuropathic pain such as paroxysmal or lancing, sharp, or like an electric shock. Baclofen was effective in 21 of 25 patients and significantly reduced Numeric Rating Scale (pain score, 0-10; P < .0001). Nine patients reported mild adverse events: none of these 9 patients had to discontinue baclofen due to adverse events.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that baclofen may be a useful adjuvant analgesic in the treatment of cancer pain.

Key Words: baclofen • GABAB • cancer pain • adjuvant analgesic • neuropathic pain • paroxysmal pain • Lioresal

This version was published on April 1, 2009

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Vol. 26, No. 2, 112-118 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1049909108327968


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