Palliative medicine
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Palliative medicine · Dec 2004
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialOral transmucosal fentanyl citrate in the management of breakthrough pain in cancer: an open, multicentre, dose-titration and long-term use study.
Sixty-six patients with cancer-related pain entered an open multicentre study to examine the safety and efficacy of oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) in the treatment of breakthrough pain. Patients were eligible for the study if they were stabilized on a long-acting opioid but were experiencing up to four episodes of breakthrough pain a day and achieving at least partial relief from breakthrough pain using conventional medication (normal release oral morphine in the majority of patients). The efficacy of the conventional medication was documented in a run-in phase and patients then changed to OTFC. ⋯ Most drop-outs in this phase were associated with progression of the underlying disease. No patient stopped using OTFC because of dissatisfaction with the drug. OTFC appears to be a safe and effective treatment for breakthrough pain in cancer patients and may have advantages over currently available opioid formulations.