Dr. Ulm on Trial for Postoperative Pain Management in Gynecological Cancer

Michael Ulm, MD, fellow, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, West Cancer Center, discusses the rationale and findings of a trial for postoperative pain management in gynecological cancer. The randomized control study tested celecoxib (Celebrex) and ketorolac (Toradol).

The rationale for the trial, Ulm says, was that a lot of physicians don’t like to use intravenous ketorolac with concerns of postoperative bleeding or acute kidney injury. Researchers were trying to find a safer option that was as, if not more, effective. Celecoxib is a COX-2 inhibitor that avoids some of those adverse events. Randomization was 1:1 for patients who underwent robotic hysterectomy. Ulm says the open hysterectomy arm of the study was closed due to poor accrual.

The results showed equivalent pan scores between the 2 drugs. Patients under celecoxib arms were given a prescription to go home with, and Ulm adds these patients used less narcotics once they were home.