Osteoblastoma: Drug Therapy

Therapeutic targets

• Relief of pain
• Removal of the tumor – see “Surgical Therapy“.
• Healing

Therapy recommendations

• Unlike osteoid osteomas, osteoblastomas do not respond to therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as salicylates, e.g., acetylsalicylic acid!
• About the administration of cyclooxygenase inhibitors (COX-2 inhibitors) can inhibit the synthesis (production) of prostaglandins (= tissue hormone that triggers pain, among other things) by osteoblasts in the nidus (hearth of the osteoid osteoma).
• Other options for analgesia according to the WHO staging scheme are:

• Non-opioid analgesic (paracetamol, first-line agent).
• Low-potency opioid analgesic (e.g., tramadol) + non-opioid analgesic.
• High-potency opioid analgesic (eg, morphine) + non-opioid analgesic.