Latest Headlines
Stereotactic radiation controls early stage lung cancer
Melanoma survivors at higher risk of other cancers
Cladribine and fludarabine equally helpful for progressive CLL
More frequent surveillance reduces colon cancer risk in Lynch syndrome families
Radiation can be avoided in early Hodgkin's lymphoma
NEWS PROVIDED BY 
VIEW ALL NEWSTransdermal buprenorphine effective for severe cancer pain
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Transdermal buprenorphine appears to be effective and safe in a study of patients with severe cancer-related pain, European investigators report in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.
Dr. Philippe Poulain of Institut Gustave-Roussy in Villejuif, France, and colleagues compared transdermal buprenorphine 70 micrograms/hour with placebo in 289 opioid-tolerant patients with cancer pain requiring strong opioids in the dose range of 90-150 mg/day oral morphine equivalents.
The patients were enrolled in a 2-week run-in phase, during which time they converted to transdermal buprenorphine or a placebo patch. Rescue analgesia with buprenorphine sublingual tablets 0.2 mg was allowed as needed.
The researchers defined response as a mean pain intensity reduction of 5 points on a 10-point scale and a mean daily need for two or fewer buprenorphine sublingual tablets.
One hundred patients dropped out of the study during the run-in phase due to a lack of efficacy or because of adverse events, while 189 patients continued on to maintenance treatment. Thirty-one more patients dropped out at that time, most of whom were on placebo.
A response was seen in 74.5% of patients on transdermal buprenorphine and in 50% of patients on placebo.
"This result was supported by a lower daily pain intensity, lower intake of buprenorphine sublingual tablets and fewer dropouts in the transdermal buprenorphine group," Dr. Poulain and colleagues write in the August issue of the Journal. "The incidence of adverse events was slightly higher for transdermal buprenorphine."
Dr. Poulain's group concludes that "transdermal buprenorphine 70 micrograms/hour is an efficacious and safe treatment for patients with severe cancer pain."
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reuters and the Reuters sphere logo are registered trademarks and trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world.
NEWS PROVIDED BY
TEXT SIZE 