Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2025-07
The Effectiveness of Regular Opioids for Dyspnea Among Opioid-Tolerant Patients with Cancer: A Comparison of Increasing Baseline Opioids Versus Opioid Switch/Combination Therapy
Dyspnea is a common and distressing symptom in patients with cancer and often worsens even with the use of opioids for pain management. Understanding effective strategies for managing dyspnea in opioid-tolerant patients is essential for improving patient care.
Objective:
This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of different opioid treatment strategies for managing dyspnea in opioid-tolerant patients with cancer.
Design:
We conducted a secondary analysis of real-world data from a past observational study.
Setting/Subjects:
This study included 122 opioid-tolerant patients with cancer who experienced dyspnea. The patients were from 12 palliative care services across Japan.
Measurements:
We recorded patients’ background, opioid usage, and dyspnea intensity using a numerical rating scale at baseline and every 24 hours for 72 hours after initiating treatment.
Results:
The overall response to treatment was 68%. The increase group (patients who increased their baseline opioid doses to manage dyspnea) saw a response of 63%, while the switch/combination group (patients who switched to another opioid or used a combination of opioids) saw a response of 73%. No significant differences were observed between the two groups. Multivariate analysis revealed that a dyspnea NRS score ≥7 was positively associated with dyspnea relief in all patients.
Conclusions:
Modification of systemic opioid administration is effective for dyspnea in opioid-tolerant patients with cancer, regardless of the treatment strategy employed. As this was an open-label observational study, randomized controlled trials are needed in the future.
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