AACR II: Pain Management in Veterans With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Posted: Thursday, July 16, 2020
Few studies have examined the use of opioids in patients with advanced prostate cancer, and although they are effective in alleviating pain, they may cause adverse effects such as constipation, nausea, and respiratory depression. That is why Kelli M. Rasmussen, PhD, of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, and colleagues undertook a study to examine the current opioid practice patterns in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
The investigators presented their data during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting II (Abstract 3505). They focused on 1,590 patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer—regardless of therapy—who were treated with at least one opioid during their disease course. The opioids most frequently prescribed among these patients included oxycodone (43%), hydrocodone (43%), and morphine (42%). During second-line therapy, morphine became the most frequently used opioid (32%), followed by oxycodone (31%) and hydrocodone (25%). The investigators suggest there is high utilization of opioids in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated in the VHA facility. They expressed that further efforts will examine whether opioid use impacts overall survival in this patient population.
“There is a significant need for determining the most appropriate method of integrating opioid therapy to reduce pain in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer,” the investigators emphasized.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit abstractsonline.com.
