Clinical Efficacy of Controlled-Release Morphine Tablets Combined with Celecoxib in Pain Management and the Effects on WNK1 Expression

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of controlled-release morphine tablets combined with celecoxib in relieving osteocarcinoma-related pain and the effects of the combination on WNK1 expression. METHODS: A total of 110 patients with osteocarcinoma-related pain were selected and divided into two groups based on the treatment administered, including the control group (treated with controlled-release morphine tablets alone) and the study group (treated with a combination of controlled-release morphine tablets and celecoxib). We compared the treatment efficacy, pain level (visual analog scale (VAS)), time of onset of breakthrough pain (BTP), dose of morphine, incidence of adverse events, quality of life (QOL) score, and With-no-lysine 1 (WNK1) expression in the peripheral blood (PB) as determined with qRT-PCR before and after treatment, of the two groups. RESULTS: The total effective rate of the study group was higher than that of the control group, while the VAS score, time of onset of BTP, dose of morphine, incidence of adverse events, QOL score, and relative WNK1 expression in the PB were lower than those of the control group (p <0.05). CONCLUSION: Combination treatment with controlled-release morphine tablets and celecoxib can be extensively used in the clinical setting because it effectively improves the symptoms, QOL score, and adverse effects in patients with osteocarcinoma-related pain.

An update regarding the role of WNK kinases in cancer

“…In a study of 110 osteosarcoma patients, the clinical efficacy of controlled-release morphine tablets in combination with celecoxib and its effect on WNK1 expression have been evaluated [ 68 ]. The results exhibit that the application of controlled-release morphine tablets and celecoxib can reduce the pain degree, incidence of adverse events and WNK1 expression in the peripheral blood of patients [ 68 ]. This suggests that WNK1 may be a potential indicator of evaluating BCP.…”