Open AccessLow-dose sublingual fentanyl improves quality of life in patients with breakthrough cancer pain in palliative care
Author(s) -
Albert Tuca,
Miguel Núñez Viejo,
Pablo Maradey,
J. Canal-Sotelo,
Plácido Guardia Mancilla,
Sonia Gutiérrez Rivero,
Inmaculada Raja Casillas,
María Herrera Abián,
Cristina López Bermudo
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
future oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.857
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1744-8301
pISSN - 1479-6694
DOI - 10.2217/fon-2021-1639
Subject(s) - medicine , fentanyl , observational study , palliative care , quality of life (healthcare) , cancer pain , visual analogue scale , cancer , analgesic , prospective cohort study , brief pain inventory , pain medicine , anesthesia , physical therapy , chronic pain , anesthesiology , nursing
Aim: This subanalysis of the CAVIDIOPAL study evaluated the impact of individualized management of breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) with fentanyl on the quality of life (QoL) of advanced cancer patients in Spanish palliative care units. Patients & methods: This was a prospective, observational, multicenter study. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer’s QLQ-C30 questionnaire was used at baseline (V0) and visit 28 (V28). Results: Ninety-five patients were mainly treated with 67–133 μg fentanyl, showing a notable reduction in intensity (visual analog scale: 8.0 [V0] to 4.6 [V28]), frequency and duration of BTcP episodes shortly after the first 1–2 weeks of treatment, with significantly improved QoL (global health status: 31.1 [V0] to 53.1 [V28]). Conclusion: Low-dose sublingual fentanyl effectively reduced BTcP in advanced cancer patients in palliative care units, significantly improving QoL. Clinical trial registration: NCT02840500 ( ClinicalTrials.gov )