Clinical analysis of standardized drug treatment of cancer pain at the pain clinic / 中国肿瘤临床

ABSTRACT

Objective: To observe the efficacy and safety of analgesic drugs in the standardized treatment of cancer pain patients at the pain clinic. Methods: The data of 787 cancer pain patients and their corresponding prescriptions for cancer pain were collected from April, 2012 to April, 2013 at the pain clinic. The obtained information comprise of diseases that lead to cancer pain, cause of pain, pain intensity, and efficacy and side effects of medications. Diseases that caused cancer pain include 658 cases with primary malignant lung cancer. Results: Pain was mainly caused by primary lung cancer in 787 cancer-related patients. An analgesic drug, namely, oxycodone hydrochloride, was administered in 54.6% via single drug therapy. The daily dosage range of this drug was 20 to 90 mg/d in 280 cases. About 35.6% of the studied patients with a daily dosage of 90 mg/d or lower had their pain effectively managed. After the treatment, the number of cases with moderate to severe pain was reduced from 437 (55.5%) to 248 (31.5%). The oral administration of opioid oxycodone hydrochloride tablets ranked first among the prescribed drugs for cancer pain, and single-drug therapy was the choice of medication. The majority of patients had satisfactory pain-relief with a daily dosage of less than 90 mg/d upon the administration of oxycodone hydrochloride sustained-release tablets and morphine sulfate controlled-release tablets. Side effects included mild constipation, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, loss of appetite, urinary retention, somnolence, and so on. Intervention treatment was needed in most of the patients. Conclusion: Pain clinic is critical in the administration of standardized treatment for cancer pain in hospitals. The establishment of pain clinic ensures the standardized treatment of cancer pain.