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Implementing therapy with opioids in patients with cancer
1Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY, USA. oscar.deleon@roswellpark.org
Purpose/Objectives:
To review strategies to optimize the management of chronic pain in patients with cancer, with an emphasis on the role of opioid analgesics.
Data Sources:
Published research, articles from a literature review, and U. S. statistics.
Data Synthesis:
Treatment for cancer pain remains suboptimal. With the therapies currently available, as much as 90% of cancer pain can be controlled. Opioid analgesics are an important component of pain management in patients with cancer.
Conclusions:
The management of cancer pain is a challenging endeavor that requires an understanding of the etiologies of cancer and the types of pain they can produce. Opioid analgesics are a mainstay of treatment for cancer pain. New drug formulations, delivery systems, and strategies, particularly opioid rotation, are available to optimize cancer pain management.
Implications For Nursing:
Opioid rotation may be useful for opening the therapeutic window and establishing a more advantageous analgesic-to-toxicity ratio in patients with cancer.
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