A Randomized, Double Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial of EUS-Guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis (EUS-CPN) for Pain Due to Newly Diagnosed, Inoperable Pancreatic Cancer
A Randomized, Double Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial of EUS-Guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis (EUS-CPN) for Pain Due to Newly Diagnosed, Inoperable Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer presents with pain in the majority of cases. Destruction of the celiac ganglia by ultrasound guided injection of sclerosing agents such as alcohol is sometimes used for pain that no longer responds to treatment with narcotics. The investigators compare standard narcotic treatment to celiac plexus alcohol injection (celiac plexus neurolysis) and do so in patients with early, mild pain to see if celiac plexus neurolysis is more effective than narcotics and prevents escalating narcotic use.
This is a randomized, double blind, sham-controlled trial designed to evaluate the efficacy of early EUS-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN). "Early" refers to the fact that, in contrast to previous CPN trials, we targeted patients with inoperable, painful pancreatic cancer in whom pain was mild and who were taking little or no narcotics. Our a priori hypotheses were that, compared to conventional management with narcotics alone, early neurolysis: 1) will better control pain related to inoperable pancreatic cancer, 2) will prevent the escalating use of narcotics associated with disease progression, 3) will improve quality of life, and 4) will improve survival. The aim our study is to test these 4 hypotheses.
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