Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: In this era of crisis and controversy surrounding opioid therapy, we must remember that cancer patients entrust us with supporting them through what might be the most difficult, and oftentimes final, period of their life. The factors that affect the benefits and risks of opioid use in cancer patients and the non-cancer population are quite different. In fact, opioid-associated deaths are 10 times less likely in the former than the latter population, suggesting that a reluctance to initiate opioids in cancer patients can risk under treatment of complex pain. In this review, we outline the considerations and evidence-based practices required to manage the clinical situations that challenge the judicious use of opioids in patients with cancer. A comprehensive review that enable us to better understand and quantify the root causes of variability in pain control, as well as risks of opioid misuse or abuse, would arm healthcare providers with the tools they need to implement multi-modal approaches to treatment planning.
Source: Annals of Palliative Medicine
Authors: Stanley Sau-Ching Wong, Chi-Wai Cheung
Institutions: Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong
Language: English
Subfield: Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W3010811911