Glioblastoma, the most aggressive and deadly type of brain cancer, is known to have a very poor prognosis — but a new study suggests that a pain-relieving drug could extend survival.Researchers at Mass General Brigham have found that an already-approved medication — a pain reliever and anti-seizure medication called gabapentin — has been linked to improved survival in patients with glioblastoma.

The findings were published in Nature Communications last week.

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Inspired by previous mouse studies that showed gabapentin’s potential in targeting tumors, the researchers studied the medical outcomes of nearly 700 patients with glioblastoma.The patients who were taking the drug survived four months longer than those who were not — 16 months compared to 12 months — which was described as "statistically significant."

"Ultimately, our goal was to highlight the emerging role of cancer neuroscience in GBM progression and emphasize the importance of exploring creative strategies to therapeutically target this evolving neural-tumor axis," lead author Joshua Bernstock, MD, PhD, a clinical fellow in the Department of Neurosurgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital, told Fox News Digital.

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The team was surprised by the survival benefit, Bernstock noted.

"It’s always incredible to see a hypothesis come to life," he said. "I was also really pleased to see the decrease in serum TSP-1 levels in the UCSF cohort, potentially positioning it as a biomarker of response."

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