[Assessing Patient Factors Influencing the Discontinuation of Opioids after Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy for Oral Cancer - A Retrospective Study].

ABSTRACT

Superselective intra-arterial chemoradiation therapy for oral cancer induces the complication of mucositis. Although the associated pain is controlled using opioids, major questions from patients in clinical practice are as follows(1)the mean number of days from the completion of superselective intra-arterial chemoradiation therapy to the discontinuation of opioid administration, and(2)patient factors enabling the discontinuation of opioids. The purpose of this study was to clarify these points. A retrospective follow-up study was conducted from April 2016 to March 2017 on patients who underwent superselective intra-arterial chemoradiation therapy at our department of oral surgery. The patients were divided into 2 groupsone who discontinued opioids, and the other who did not. Clinical backgrounds and data were compared between the 2 groups. The mean number of days from the completion of superselective intra-arterial chemoradiation therapy to the discontinuation of opioid administration was 51±34.4 days. The absence of diabetes and deliria during treatment were determined as factors contributing to the discontinuation of opioids.