Patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy are less likely to require opioids or a feeding tube if they received a higher dose of prophylactic gabapentin before their treatment, findings from a team of radiation oncologists at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center show. Their discovery, published today in JAMA Network Open, suggests that a prophylactic, or preventative, gabapentin dose of 3600 mg daily can delay or eliminate the need for opioids to manage the pain associated with radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer.

Radical prostatectomy, or removal of the prostate gland and surrounding tissues, is a standard surgical procedure used to treat men with prostate cancer. Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is becoming increasingly common, but as with other radical prostatectomy methods, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction are common complications of the procedure.

Cancer is the most dangerous threat to firefighter health and safety today, surpassing cardiac related deaths. To help address and reduce these risks, the Buffalo Fire Department and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center have teamed up to develop an ongoing initiative to keep first responders safe.