Effectiveness and Safety of 35 kDa Hyaluronan for Symptom Relief in Advanced Lung Cancer: A Pilot Study Focusing on Pain and Cough

Abstract

Background: Advanced lung cancer and its associated pain symptoms place a significant burden on patients. A 35 kDa hyaluronan fragment (HA35) has been confirmed to effectively alleviate inflammatory and neuropathic pain in palliative care settings. This single-arm, prospective pilot study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of HA35 injection in providing symptomatic relief, particularly for pain and cough, in patients with advanced lung cancer. Methods: This study was a single-arm design without a control group. A total of 12 subjects were recruited from Tuya Amglan Hospital, with 2 subjects excluded; thus, 10 subjects completed the clinical study. Ten patients received 100 mg of HA35 via abdominal deep fat layer injection once daily for 1 week, followed by 100 mg every 3 days for 3 months. All patients were allowed intermittent use of antibiotic compounds and corticosteroids during the treatment period to prevent potential infections. Results: Abdominal deep fat layer injection of HA35 effectively alleviated pain or discomfort (P<.0001) and associated cough symptoms (P<.0001). Chest Computed Tomography (CT) revealed that all lung tumor masses had no significant changes after 3 months of treatment. Interestingly, the treatment significantly improved the fatigue (P<.0001) and facial skin brightness (P<.001) of all patients. Conclusion: HA35 injection may help alleviate pain, discomfort, and cough symptoms in patients with advanced lung cancer. Furthermore, the improvements observed in fatigue and facial skin brightness suggest that HA35 might also contribute to enhancing the mental well-being of cancer patients.