Comparison of controlled-release and immediate-release oxycodone tablets in patients with cancer pain

This study compared the clinical efficacy of oxycodone hydrochloride controlled-release (CR) tablets administered every 12 hours with immediate-release (IR) oxycodone tablets administered four times daily in patients with cancer-related pain.

Cancer patients who required therapy for moderate to severe pain were randomized to CR oxycodone every 12 hours (n=81) or IR oxycodone four times daily (n=83) for 5 days in a multicenter, double-blind study. Pain intensity was assessed four times daily (categorical scale of none, slight, moderate, and severe); acceptability of therapy was assessed twice daily (categorical scale of very poor, poor, fair, good, and excellent).

Pain intensity remained slight during the study, with mean oxycodone doses of 114 mg/d (range, 20 to 400 mg/d) for CR and 127 mg/d (range, 40 to 640 mg/d) for IR. Acceptability of therapy was fair to good with both treatments. While standard conversion ratios provided an acceptable dose for many patients, a protocol amendment that allowed initial titration and use of rescue medication reduced the discontinuation rate for lack of acceptable pain control (from 34% to 4% with CR and from 31% to 19% with IR before and after amendment, respectively) without increasing the discontinuation rate for adverse events (from 8% to 7% with CR and from 13% to 11% with IR). Fewer adverse events were reported with CR (109) than with IR (186) oxycodone (P=.006).

CR oxycodone every 12 hours was as effective as IR oxycodone four times daily in managing moderate to severe cancer-related pain and was associated with fewer reports of adverse events.