Journal of palliative medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Ketamine analgesic effect by continuous intravenous infusion in refractory cancer pain: considerations about the clinical research in palliative care.
The literature has described the use of ketamine as an adjuvant treatment for opioid-refractory cancer pain. None of these studies have used the drug in a palliative care patient population. ⋯ The present study did not confirm the efficacy of the ketamine-morphine combination in refractory cancer pain. The results suggest that specific populations could be "good responders" for this therapeutic approach. Further studies should be performed that take into account the difficulties of conducting clinical research in the palliative care context.