Tapentadol for the management of cancer pain in adults: an update

Tapentadol is the first of a new class of analgesics, having synergistic µ-opioid receptor agonist and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitory actions. It has been widely researched in many areas of pain, often in noninferiority studies against potent opioids. This review describes all randomized and recent nonrandomized studies of tapentadol in adults with cancer pain.

Tapentadol has been shown to be at least as effective as morphine and oxycodone in five randomized (two of which were multicenter and double-blind) and a range of nonrandomized trials, although caution is needed when interpreting these results. It is effective in both opioid-naive patients and those already taking opioids. By having a lower µ-opioid receptor binding affinity, it has fewer opioid-related toxicities such as constipation and nausea. A recent randomized trial comparing tapentadol to tapentadol plus duloxetine in patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy shows similar improvement in both groups in a range of pain relieving and quality of life measures, with similar adverse effects.

Tapentadol has been shown in a range of studies to be an effective analgesic and thus should be considered as an alternative to morphine and oxycodone, especially when opioid toxicities are an issue.