A single-institution, randomized, pilot study evaluating the efficacy of gabapentin and methadone for patients undergoing chemoradiation for head and neck squamous cell cancer.

High-dose prophylactic gabapentin increased the percentage of patients who required no opioid during treatment. Methadone may improve QOL compared with a regimen of short-acting opioids and fentanyl. However, pain was found to significantly worsen throughout treatment regardless of treatment arm, necessitating further studies to identify a more optimal regimen.