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Pinucci I, Maraone A, Tarsitani L, Pasquini M. Insomnia among Cancer Patients in the Real World: Optimising Treatments and Tailored Therapies. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3785. [PMID: 36900794 PMCID: PMC10001409 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insomnia is commonly reported by cancer patients. Its multifaceted pathophysiology makes this symptom a complex challenge for the clinician, who should bear in mind the manifold world of causes and consequences of sleep disturbances in these patients and the importance of accurate treatment that should consider the frequent co-prescription of multiple medications. With our work, we aim to provide a tool to better master the treatment of this symptom in cancer patients, considering the gap between clinical and pharmacodynamic knowledge about the efficacy of different molecules and evidence-based prescribing. METHODS A narrative review of the studies investigating the pharmacological treatment of insomnia in cancer patients was conducted. Three hundred and seventy-six randomised controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews and meta-analyses were identified through PubMed. Only publications that investigated the efficacy of the pharmacological treatment of insomnia symptoms in cancer patient were considered. RESULTS Among the 376 publications that were individuated, fifteen studies were eligible for inclusion in the review and were described. Pharmacological treatments were outlined, with a broad look at specific clinical situations. CONCLUSIONS The management of insomnia in cancer patients should be personalised, as is already the case for the treatment of pain, taking into account both the pathophysiology and the other medical treatments prescribed to these patients.
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Asensi-Cantó A, López-Abellán MD, Castillo-Guardiola V, Hurtado AM, Martínez-Penella M, Luengo-Gil G, Conesa-Zamora P. Antitumoral Effects of Tricyclic Antidepressants: Beyond Neuropathic Pain Treatment. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14133248. [PMID: 35805019 PMCID: PMC9265090 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14133248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are old and known therapeutic agents whose good safety profile makes them good candidates for drug repurposing. As the relevance of nerves in cancer development and progression is being unveiled, attention now turns to the use of nerve-targeting drugs, such as TCAs, as an interesting approach to combat cancer. In this review, we discuss current evidence about the safety of TCAs, their application to treat neuropathic pain in cancer patients, and in vitro and in vivo demonstrations of the antitumoral effects of TCAs. Finally, the results of ongoing clinical trials and future directions are discussed. Abstract Growing evidence shows that nerves play an active role in cancer development and progression by altering crucial molecular pathways and cell functions. Conversely, the use of neurotropic drugs, such as tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), may modulate these molecular signals with a therapeutic purpose based on a direct antitumoral effect and beyond the TCA use to treat neuropathic pain in oncology patients. In this review, we discuss the TCAs’ safety and their central effects against neuropathic pain in cancer, and the antitumoral effects of TCAs in in vitro and preclinical studies, as well as in the clinical setting. The current evidence points out that TCAs are safe and beneficial to treat neuropathic pain associated with cancer and chemotherapy, and they block different molecular pathways used by cancer cells from different locations for tumor growth and promotion. Likewise, ongoing clinical trials evaluating the antineoplastic effects of TCAs are discussed. TCAs are very biologically active compounds, and their repurposing as antitumoral drugs is a promising and straightforward approach to treat specific cancer subtypes and to further define their molecular targets, as well as an interesting starting point to design analogues with increased antitumoral activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Asensi-Cantó
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), 30107 Guadalupe, Spain; (A.A.-C.); (M.D.L.-A.); (M.M.-P.)
- Servicio de Farmacia Hospitalaria, Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, 30202 Cartagena, Spain
- Grupo de Investigación en Patología Molecular y Farmacogenética, Servicios de Anatomía Patológica y Análisis Clínicos, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, 30202 Cartagena, Spain; (V.C.-G.); (A.M.H.)
| | - María Dolores López-Abellán
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), 30107 Guadalupe, Spain; (A.A.-C.); (M.D.L.-A.); (M.M.-P.)
- Grupo de Investigación en Patología Molecular y Farmacogenética, Servicios de Anatomía Patológica y Análisis Clínicos, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, 30202 Cartagena, Spain; (V.C.-G.); (A.M.H.)
| | - Verónica Castillo-Guardiola
- Grupo de Investigación en Patología Molecular y Farmacogenética, Servicios de Anatomía Patológica y Análisis Clínicos, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, 30202 Cartagena, Spain; (V.C.-G.); (A.M.H.)
| | - Ana María Hurtado
- Grupo de Investigación en Patología Molecular y Farmacogenética, Servicios de Anatomía Patológica y Análisis Clínicos, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, 30202 Cartagena, Spain; (V.C.-G.); (A.M.H.)
- Grupo de Investigación en Inmunobiología para la Acuicultura, Departamento de Biología Celular e Histología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Mónica Martínez-Penella
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), 30107 Guadalupe, Spain; (A.A.-C.); (M.D.L.-A.); (M.M.-P.)
- Servicio de Farmacia Hospitalaria, Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, 30202 Cartagena, Spain
| | - Ginés Luengo-Gil
- Grupo de Investigación en Patología Molecular y Farmacogenética, Servicios de Anatomía Patológica y Análisis Clínicos, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, 30202 Cartagena, Spain; (V.C.-G.); (A.M.H.)
- Correspondence: (G.L.-G.); (P.C.-Z.); Tel.: +34-968-128-600 (ext. 951615) (G.L.-G. & P.C.-Z.)
| | - Pablo Conesa-Zamora
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM), 30107 Guadalupe, Spain; (A.A.-C.); (M.D.L.-A.); (M.M.-P.)
- Grupo de Investigación en Patología Molecular y Farmacogenética, Servicios de Anatomía Patológica y Análisis Clínicos, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB), Hospital Universitario Santa Lucía, 30202 Cartagena, Spain; (V.C.-G.); (A.M.H.)
- Correspondence: (G.L.-G.); (P.C.-Z.); Tel.: +34-968-128-600 (ext. 951615) (G.L.-G. & P.C.-Z.)
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