High-dose Prophylactic Gabapentin (HOPE) vs. Placebo to Prevent Opioid Use for Oral Mucositis Pain During Concurrent Chemoradiation for Head and Neck Cancer

Recruiting now · Phase 3 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Stage I Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Stage II Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Stage III Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8, Stage IV Head and Neck Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma AJCC v8

In brief

This phase III trial tests if gabapentin can prevent the need for opiate pain medication for mouth sores (oral mucositis) in patients undergoing treatment with chemotherapy and radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region. Oral mucositis is a common side effect of radiation treatment and can cause severe pain, dysphagia, and weight loss resulting in feeding tube placement, worse health-related quality of life, treatment interruptions, unplanned hospitalizations, and significant financial burden. Mucositis pain is often treated with opioid pain medications which do provide pain relief but have many known side effects not limited to mental clouding, constipation, fatigue, endocrinopathy, neurotoxicity, sleep-disordered breathing, and most distressingly persistent opioid use. Gabapentin may help relieve pain from oral mucositis caused by radiation while also reducing the need for opiate pain medications for patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region

Key facts

Study ID

NCT06992427

Run by

Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology

People needed

228

Starts

2025-06-05

Expected to finish

2031-04-15

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-11

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Histologic documentation of disease: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck region.
• Stage: I-IV
• No prior treatment for head and neck cancer
• Planned treatment with cisplatin-based chemoradiation therapy (weekly or once every 3 weeks [q 3 week])
• Able to swallow capsules whole
• No known hypersensitivity to gabapentin or its ingredients
• No patients on dialysis or with transplanted organs
• No prior surgery or radiation for head and neck cancer and/or are being treated for recurrent head and neck cancer. Patients with a history of surgery and radioactive iodine for the treatment of thyroid cancer are eligible. Concurrent cancer therapy for other cancers is not allowed
• No planned surgery or chemotherapy or immunotherapy following 7 weeks of standard chemoradiation treatment
• No known brain metastases
• No nonprescribed use of any opioids (including heroin) within 6 months prior to registration
• No prescribed medications for chronic and/or long-term pain and/or neuropathy, including patients under treatment of a pain specialist or substance abuse programs. Acute post-biopsy medications are allowed if the patient has discontinued them 3 days prior to study registration
• No current treatment with mefloquine
• Age ≥ 18 years
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≤ 2
• Creatinine ≤ 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN)
• Not pregnant and not nursing, because this study involves both radiation and chemotherapy. In addition, the genotoxic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects on the developing fetus and newborn are unknown. Therefore, for women of childbearing potential, a negative pregnancy test done < 7 days prior to registration is required. Women must agree to using contraception for the duration of receiving study drugs and for 6 months after completing chemoradiation
• Not taking medications for a psychotic psychiatric illness
• No existing diagnosis of sleep apnea
• No acute narrow-angle glaucoma
• No uncontrolled concurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• No investigational agent within 30 days prior to registration
• No enrollment on other studies of systemic pain control agents
• Language: In order to complete the mandatory patient-completed measures, participants must be able to speak and read English or Spanish
• Patients with impaired decision making are not eligible for study

Where it is running

• Kootenai Clinic Cancer Services - Post Falls — Post Falls, Idaho, United States (enrolling)
• Illinois CancerCare-Bloomington — Bloomington, Illinois, United States (enrolling)
• Saint Luke's Cancer Institute - Boise — Boise, Idaho, United States (enrolling)
• Saint Luke's Cancer Institute - Nampa — Nampa, Idaho, United States (enrolling)
• Advocate Outpatient Center - Aurora — Aurora, Illinois, United States (enrolling)
• Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital — Barrington, Illinois, United States (enrolling)
• Kaiser Permanente-Franklin — Denver, Colorado, United States (enrolling)
• Saint Anthony Hospital — Lakewood, Colorado, United States (enrolling)
• Kootenai Health - Coeur d'Alene — Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, United States (enrolling)
• Saint Luke's Cancer Institute - Meridian — Meridian, Idaho, United States (enrolling)
• Kootenai Clinic Cancer Services - Sandpoint — Sandpoint, Idaho, United States (enrolling)
• Los Angeles General Medical Center — Los Angeles, California, United States (enrolling)
• USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center — Los Angeles, California, United States (enrolling)
• Arizona Center for Cancer Care-Surprise — Surprise, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• Arizona Center for Cancer Care — Tempe, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• Arizona Center for Cancer Care - Phoenix — Phoenix, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• AIS Cancer Center at San Joaquin Community Hospital — Bakersfield, California, United States (enrolling)
• Kaiser Permanente-Rock Creek — Lafayette, Colorado, United States (enrolling)
• Arizona Center for Cancer Care - Osborn — Scottsdale, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• Arizona Center for Cancer Care - Gilbert — Gilbert, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• Arizona Center for Cancer Care-Peoria — Peoria, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• Saint Luke's Cancer Institute - Fruitland — Fruitland, Idaho, United States (enrolling)
• Arizona Center for Cancer Care - Scottsdale — Scottsdale, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• Arizona Center for Cancer Care - Biltmore — Phoenix, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• Illinois CancerCare-Canton — Canton, Illinois, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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