A Multicenter Retrospective Observational Study on Drug-Drug Interactions between Opioid Analgesics and Immune...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Pain Management

Background:

• Opioid analgesics are crucial for managing cancer pain.
• Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are increasingly used in cancer therapy, leading to combined drug use.
• Concerns exist regarding potential interference between ICIs and opioid analgesia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate drug-drug interactions between opioid analgesics and ICIs in cancer patients.
• To evaluate the influence of combined therapy on analgesic effects and pain intensity.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter collaborative study was conducted.
• Pain intensity was measured using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) in patients receiving both opioid analgesics and ICIs.
• Data were collected at baseline, Day 1, and Day 7.

Main Results:

• When opioids were administered with ICIs, median NRS pain intensity significantly decreased from 4.5 at baseline to 3.0 on Day 1 and 2.5 on Day 7.
• When ICIs were administered with opioids, median NRS pain intensity significantly decreased from 3.0 at baseline to 2.0 on Day 1 and 2.75 on Day 7.
• Both combinations demonstrated favorable analgesic effects.

Conclusions:

• Opioid analgesics provide effective pain relief when administered concurrently with ICIs.
• The combination of opioid analgesics and ICIs is a viable strategy for managing cancer pain.
• Further research may explore optimizing this combined therapeutic approach.