Opioid Use In Cancer Patients Research Articles

Constipation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients: Navigating Clinical Challenges, Hospital Stays and Opioid-Related Risks for Enhanced Patient Care and Outcomes

Background: Constipation can be a significant clinical challenge, impacting patient care and extending hospital stays. We examined the effects of constipation on Hepatocellular carcinoma patients, especially due to increased risk from opioid use in cancer patients, which may affect overall hospital outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed critically ill patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the 2019 and 2020 National Inpatient Sample databases. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to adjust for confounding variables and study important outcomes: mortality, length of stay, the total cost of hospitalization, sepsis, acute kidney injury, acute respiratory failure, malnutrition, obesity, weight loss, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and involvement of palliative care. Results: Of the 38365 patients admitted with Hepatocellular carcinoma, 4685 (12.2%) had a secondary diagnosis of constipation, and 33680 had no constipation. After adjusting for confounding variables, mortality (OR 0.69 95% CI 0.49-0.96, P=0.028) and total hospitalization charges [-13906 USD, 95% CI -22750- (-5063), p = 0.002] were significantly reduced in HCC patients with concurrent constipation, while there was no difference in the length of stay between the two cohorts (0.93, 95% CI 0.37-1.48, p = 0.001. Constipation was associated with decreased odds of obesity (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.61-0.99, P=0.042) and acute respiratory failure (OR 0.65 95% CI 0.44-0.95, p = 0.029); however, it was coupled with an increased risk of weight loss (OR 1.60 95% CI 1.07-2.40, p= 0.021), nausea/vomiting (OR 2.24 95% CI 1.55-3.24, p < 0.001), fatigue (OR 4.32 95% CI 2.25-8.31, p < 0.001), palliative care involvement (OR 1.88 95% CI 1.55-2.29, p < 0.001), malnutrition (OR 1.72 95% CI 1.46-2.04, p < 0.001) and opioid use disorder (OR 2.50 95% CI 1.62-3.84, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Constipation has been associated with reduced mortality and overall hospitalization costs; however, it is also associated with multiple adverse health events that can contribute to increased morbidity. Additional prospective studies are required to confirm the results of our analysis. Early identification of constipation in high-risk cancer patients could be crucial for predicting morbidity and mortality, as well as aiding in risk stratification to improve outcomes.

Guidelines for Opioid Use in Cancer Patients

Guidelines for Opioid Use in Cancer Patients

Temporal Trends and Predictors of Opioid Use Among Older Patients With Cancer.

While opioids represent a cornerstone of cancer pain management, the timing and patterns of opioid use in the cancer population have not been well studied. This study sought to explore longitudinal trends in opioid use among Medicare beneficiaries with nonmetastatic cancer. Within a cohort of 16,072 Medicare beneficiaries ≥66 years old diagnosed with nonmetastatic cancer between 2007 and 2013, we determined the likelihood of receiving a short-term (0 to 6 mo postdiagnosis), intermediate-term (6 to 12 mo postdiagnosis), long-term (1 to 2 y postdiagnosis), and high-risk (morphine equivalent dose ≥90 mg/day) opioid prescription after cancer diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify patient and cancer risk factors associated with these opioid use endpoints. During the study period, 74.6% of patients received an opioid prescription, while only 2.66% of patients received a high-risk prescription. Factors associated with use varied somewhat between short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term use, though in general, patients at higher risk of receiving an opioid prescription after their cancer diagnosis were younger, had higher stage disease, lived in regions of higher poverty, and had a history of prior opioid use. Prescriptions for high-risk opioids were associated with individuals living in regions with lower poverty. Temporal trends in opioid use in cancer patients depend on patient, demographic, and tumor characteristics. Overall, understanding these correlations may help physicians better identify patient-specific risks of opioid use and could help better inform future evidence-based, cancer-specific opioid prescription guidelines.

Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, Social Support and Opioid Use in Cancer Patients

Mindfulness, defined as awareness of the present moment is a type of meditation practice. We evaluated whether mindfulness or social support affects stress burden in patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT) for cancer. In addition, we wanted to evaluate whether mindfulness and perceived stress impacts opioid use in patients undergoing radiation therapy for Head and Neck (HN) cancers.From July 2019 to January 2021, patients receiving RT for cancer were given 3 surveys to complete prior to starting treatment. The surveys included the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) which were used to measure mindfulness, social support, and stress respectively. A Pearson correlation was conducted for this initial analysis. In addition, MAAS and PSS scales were assessed in 20 patients (40 surveys) with HN cancer to evaluate opioid use. The Spearman correlation coefficient was used to test for associations between PSS, MAAS, age and elapsed days. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the distributions of PSS and MAAS between males and females, and between the opioid users and non-users.In the initial analysis of 93 patients and 279 surveys, treatment sites included prostate, breast, HN, GI, CNS, lung, gynecologic, bone, and palliative pelvis, median scores for PSS, MAAS, and MOS were 14.0 (range:0-28, standard deviation:6.2), 5.1 (range: 2.8-6.0, standard deviation:0.8), and 4.6 (range: 0-5, standard deviation:1.0) respectively. Stress scores were in the low, average, and high stress ranges for 35 (38%), 26 (28%), and 32 (34%) patients respectively. Stress was negatively correlated to mindfulness, r = -0.494, P < 0.001. Social support was positively correlated to mindfulness, r = 0.264, P < 0.001, and negatively correlated to stress r = -0.340, P < 0.001. We added additional 10 patients in HN cohort (n = 20) where we compared MAAS/PSS with opioid use and we did not find a significant correlation between PSS and MASS (r = -.30, P = .20), MASS and age (r = .40, P = .08), or MASS and elapsed days (r = -.28, P = .22). The median PSS in the opioid group and non-opioid groups were 2.1 (1.7-2.3) (P = 0.32) and 1.9 (1.1-2.1) (P = 0.27), respectively.Mindfulness did correlate with less stress and more social support. There was no correlation found between MAAS and opioid use. We plan to continue the study in a larger cohort of patients.

'Palliative-D'-Vitamin D Supplementation to Palliative Cancer Patients: A Double Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Multicenter Trial.

Simple SummaryIn this study, the effect of vitamin D supplementation on pain, infections, fatigue and quality of life in patients with advanced cancer with verified vitamin D deficiency was studied. To this end, a randomized controlled trial, ‘Palliative-D’, was conducted, comparing the effect of 4000 IU vitamin D3/day for 12 weeks to placebo in cancer patients admitted to palliative care. Pain was assessed as change in opioid dose and infections measured as days on antibiotics. Vitamin D-supplemented patients increased their opioid doses at a significantly slower rate than patients receiving placebo, i.e., 0.56 µg less fentanyl/h per week with vitamin D treatment. Vitamin D reduced self-assessed fatigue but did not affect antibiotic use or self-assessed Quality of life. The treatment was safe and well-tolerated. In conclusion, correction of vitamin D deficiency may have positive effects on pain and fatigue in palliative cancer patients.The aim of the ‘Palliative-D’ study was to test the hypothesis that correction of vitamin D deficiency reduces opioid use in cancer patients admitted to palliative care. A multicenter randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in three home-based palliative care facilities in Sweden was performed. Patients with advanced cancer and 25-hydroxyvitamin D < 50 nmol/L were randomized to vitamin D3 4000 IU/day or placebo for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the difference of long-acting opioid use (fentanyl ug/h) between the groups during 12 weeks, based on four time points. Secondary outcomes included changes in antibiotic use, fatigue and Quality of Life (QoL). A total of 244 patients were randomized, and 150 patients completed the 12 weeks. The major reason for drop-out was death due to cancer. The vitamin D-group had a significantly smaller increase of opioid doses compared to the placebo-group; beta coefficient −0.56 (p = 0.03), i.e., 0.56 µg less fentanyl/h per week with vitamin D treatment. Vitamin D-reduced fatigue assessed with ESAS was −1.1 points after 12 weeks (p < 0.01). Antibiotic use or QoL did not differ significantly between the groups. The treatment was safe and well-tolerated. In conclusion, correction of vitamin D deficiency may have positive effects on opioid use and fatigue in palliative cancer patients, but only in those with a survival time more than 12 weeks.

The development of a nomogram to determine the frequency of elevated risk for non-medical opioid use in cancer patients.

Non-medical opioid use (NMOU) is a growing crisis. Cancer patients at elevated risk of NMOU (+risk) are frequently underdiagnosed. The aim of this paper was to develop a nomogram to predict the probability of +risk among cancer patients receiving outpatient supportive care consultation at a comprehensive cancer center. 3,588 consecutive patients referred to a supportive care clinic were reviewed. All patients had a diagnosis of cancer and were on opioids for pain. All patients were assessed using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP-14), and CAGE-AID (Cut Down-Annoyed-Guilty-Eye Opener) questionnaires. "+risk" was defined as an SOAPP-14 score of ≥7. A nomogram was devised based on the risk factors determined by the multivariate logistic regression model to estimate the probability of +risk. 731/3,588 consults were +risk. +risk was significantly associated with gender, race, marital status, smoking status, depression, anxiety, financial distress, MEDD (morphine equivalent daily dose), and CAGE-AID score. The C-index was 0.8. A nomogram was developed and can be accessed at https://is.gd/soappnomogram. For example, for a male Hispanic patient, married, never smoked, with ESAS scores for depression = 3, anxiety = 3, financial distress = 7, a CAGE score of 0, and an MEDD score of 20, the total score is 9 + 9+0 + 0+6 + 10 + 23 + 0+1 = 58. A nomogram score of 58 indicates the probability of +risk of 0.1. We established a practical nomogram to assess the +risk. The application of a nomogram based on routinely collected clinical data can help clinicians establish patients with +risk and positively impact care planning.

Associations Between Physician Prescribing Behavior and Persistent Postoperative Opioid Use Among Cancer Patients Undergoing Curative-intent Surgery: A Population-based Cohort Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between prescribers' opioid prescribing history and persistent postoperative opioid use in cancer patients undergoing curative-intent surgery. Study has shown that patients may be over-prescribed analgesics after surgery. However, whether and how the prescriber's opioid prescribing behavior impacts persistent opioid use is unclear. All adults with a diagnosis of solid cancers who underwent surgery during the study period (2009-2015) in Alberta, Canada and were opioid-naïve were included. The key exposure was the historical opioid-prescribing pattern of a patient's most responsible prescriber. The primary outcome was "new persistent postoperative opioid user," was defined as a patient who was opioid-naïve before surgery and subsequently filled at least 1 opioid prescription between 60 and 180 days after surgery. We identified 24,500 patients. Of these, 2106 (8.6%) patients became a new persistent opioid user after surgery. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients with most responsible prescribers that historically prescribed higher daily doses of opioids (≥50 vs <50 mg oral morphine equivalent) had an increased risk of new persistent opioid use after surgery (odds ratio = 2.41, P < 0.0001). In addition to the provider's prescribing pattern, other factors including younger age, comorbidities, presurgical opioid use, chemotherapy, type of tumor/surgical procedure were also found to be independently associated with new persistent postoperative opioid use. Our results suggest that prescriber with a history of prescribing a higher opioid dose is an important predictor of persistent postoperative opioid use among cancer patients undergoing curative-intent surgery.

Optimization of opioid utility in cancer pain populations.

In this era of crisis and controversy surrounding opioid therapy, we must remember that cancer patients entrust us with supporting them through what might be the most difficult, and oftentimes final, period of their life. The factors that affect the benefits and risks of opioid use in cancer patients and the non-cancer population are quite different. In fact, opioid-associated deaths are 10 times less likely in the former than the latter population, suggesting that a reluctance to initiate opioids in cancer patients can risk under treatment of complex pain. In this review, we outline the considerations and evidence-based practices required to manage the clinical situations that challenge the judicious use of opioids in patients with cancer. A comprehensive review that enable us to better understand and quantify the root causes of variability in pain control, as well as risks of opioid misuse or abuse, would arm healthcare providers with the tools they need to implement multi-modal approaches to treatment planning.

Association of providers’ prescribing patterns with postsurgical opioid use among cancer patients undergoing curative-intent surgery.

6530 Background: Patients with cancer are vulnerable to chronic opioid use. Although opioid use may be appropriate, preliminary data suggest that a significant proportion may be using opioids inappropriately. This study aims to evaluate the association between the history of the providers’ opioid-prescribing patterns and post-surgical opioid use in cancer patients undergoing curative-intent surgery. Methods: This population-based study included all patients diagnosed with common solid tumors who received curative-intent surgery and were non-opioid users prior to surgery between 2009 and 2015 in Alberta, Canada. Based on previously published methods, a new persistent opioid user was defined as opioid-naïve prior to surgery and who subsequently filled at least one opioid prescription between 60 and 180 days after surgery. The opioid-prescribing patterns of a patient’s most responsible provider (MRP) were measured as the mean daily dosage (oral morphine equivalent, OME) that was prescribed to all other patients by that provider prior to the surgical date. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify associations between the MRP’s prescribing patterns and the patient’s opioid use after surgery. Results: 14,780 patients met the inclusion criteria and were associated with 2,880 MRPs, among which 2,364 (16%) patients became new persistent opioid users after surgery. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients with MRPs who routinely prescribed higher doses of opioids (≥60 vs. 0-59 mg OME: OR = 2.33, P &lt; 0.0001) for their patients were associated with a greater risk of new persistent opioid use after surgery. In addition, those with a higher Charlson comorbidity index (P = 0.006), visited more prescribers (P &lt; 0.0001), had a specific tumor type (breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, melanoma or kidney vs. others, P &lt; 0.0001), received adjuvant chemotherapy (OR = 1.37, P &lt; 0.0001), and received adjuvant radiation (OR = 1.3, P = 0.0004) were also associated with greater risk of new persistent opioid use after surgery. Conclusions: Our results suggest that prescribers with a history of prescribing higher opioid doses are an important predictor of chronic opioid use among cancer patients undergoing curative-intent surgery. Awareness of physician prescribing practices and their unintended consequences may inform strategies to minimize persistent post-operative opioid use in cancer patients.

The development of a nomogram to determine the risk for inappropriate opioid use in cancer patients.

11602 Background: Non-Medical opioid use is a growing crisis. Cancer patients at risk of harmful use of prescribed opioids are frequently underdiagnosed. The aim was to develop a nomogram to predict the probability of occurrence of Inappropriate opioid use that is, presence of SOAPP ≥ 7) among patients receiving outpatient supportive care consultation at a comprehensive cancer center. Methods: 3588 consecutive cancer patients referred to a supportive care clinic from March 1, 2016 to July 15, 2018 were reviewed. Patients were eligible if they had diagnosis of cancer, and were on opioids for pain for at least a week. All patients were assessed using Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale with spiritual pain and financial distress (ESAS-FS), MEDD (morphine equivalent daily dose), SOAPP-14 (validated questionnaire for assessment of risk of inappropriate opioid use, and CAGE-AID (screening questionnaire for alcoholism/substance use disorder). Patients at with SOAPP+ were defined by SOAPP score ≥7. A nomogram was devised based on the risk factors determined in the multivariate logistic regression model and it can be used to estimate the probability of inappropriate opioid use. Results: Median age was 62yrs. Median ESAS pain item score on consultation was 5, Median ECOG was 2.20.4% were SOAPP+ and 10.1% were CAGE-AID+. SOAPP+ was significantly associated with gender, race, marital status, smoking status, depression, anxiety, financial distress, MEDD and CAGE score. The C-index is 0.8(CI 0.78, 0.82). A nomogram was developed. For example, for a male Hispanic patient, who is married, never smoked, with the following ESAS scores: (depression = 3, anxiety = 3, financial distress = 8), CAGE score of 0, and MEDD of 20, the total score is 9+9+0+0+6+10+26+0+1 = 61. In the nomogram a score of 58 indicates the probability of inappropriate opioid use being 0.1 and a score of 88 indicates the probability of 0.2. Based on the patient’s total score of 61, the probability of his aberrant behavior is between 10% to 20% (close to 10%). Conclusions: A nomogram can predict the risk of inappropriate opioid use in cancer patients.

Patient level factors associated with chronic opioid use in cancer patients.

11580 Background: Opioid prescribing in oncology is increasingly scrutinized given public health concerns about chronic opioid use, misuse, and harms. We aimed to evaluate patient reported pain scores, mental health indicators, prior opioid use, and number of opioid prescribers as potential risk factors for chronic opioid use in a large Canadian province. Methods: This was a population-based cohort study using administrative health data of patients in Alberta, Canada, diagnosed between Jan 2016 and Jan 2017, and completed a prospective comprehensive symptom survey within +/- 60 days of diagnosis. Patients were divided into two groups: chronic opioid use (COU) (defined as continuous prescriptions for opioids for at least 90 days post diagnosis) and non-chronic opioid use (NCOU). Logistic regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with COU. Results: We included 694 patients. Most had breast (20%), colorectal (13%), and lung (33%) cancers. There were no differences in mean age (65 years) or gender (50% female) between the groups. In total, 32% had moderate to high pain scores at diagnosis. Of the 14% with COU, 79% were opioid naïve at diagnosis. Those in the COU group were more often diagnosed with advanced stage of disease (66% vs 40%), had lung cancer (47%), and were opioid tolerant at diagnosis (defined as &gt; 90 days of continuous opioids within 1 year prior to their diagnosis) (21% vs 3%). In comparison, 64% of COU versus 27% of NCOU had moderate to severe pain scores at diagnosis (p &lt; 0.001). COU had significantly higher anxiety and depression scores at diagnosis versus NCOU (p = 0.004). Among patients with COU, morphine equivalent daily doses increased from 27.3 (pre-diagnosis) to 65.1 (post-diagnosis). Irrespective of treatment type or stage, those who had moderate to high pain scores, were opioid tolerant at diagnosis, or had multiple prescribers were at greater risk for COU (see Table). Conclusions: Specific patient groups were at increased risk of COU and should be the focus of adaptive prescribing approaches to ensure that opioid use is appropriate. [Table: see text]

Opioid use in long term cancer survivors.

6520Background: Our research team previously found that the rate of opioid use in cancer patients surviving at least 5 years beyond diagnosis was 1.2 times higher compared with age-sex matched cont...

Strong opioid prescription in cancer patients in their final year of life: A population-based analysis using a Taiwanese health insurance database.

Pain assessment and management have been important criteria in hospital accreditation in Taiwan since 2007. We used a Taiwanese health insurance database to determine factors influencing patterns of strong opioid use in cancer patients in their final 12 months of life. Data from patients with cancer in Taiwan outpatient clinics with cancer-related deaths between 2008 and 2011 were included in the analysis. Strong opioid prescription data from the last 12 months of each patient's life, as well as patient, physician, and hospital characteristics, were collected from the National Health Insurance Research Database. Among 162 679 patients, more were male (63.6%) than female (36.4%) and almost half (49.3%) were ≥70 years old. Most (44.9%) patients had gastrointestinal cancer. More than one-third (35.4%) of patients were prescribed strong opioids during the 12 months before death, and more than half (53.2%) of those prescribed opioids received them in the 3 months before death. Median duration of strong opioid use was 81 days before death. Patients with head/neck cancer (52.8%) or who were treated in hematology and oncology departments (45.8%) were most likely, and patients with gastrointestinal cancer (hazard ratio=0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.64-0.67) or treated in gastroenterology departments (hazard ratio=0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.84-0.93) were least likely to be prescribed strong opioids. Strong opioid prescriptions varied among patients with different cancer diagnoses and physicians. Information from this study can guide efforts to improve patient and physician education about cancer pain management.

EP-1387: Time Trends In Opioid Use In Cancer Patients with Pain: Observations from Administrative Data

EP-1387: Time Trends In Opioid Use In Cancer Patients with Pain: Observations from Administrative Data

Patterns of Community-Based Opioid Prescriptions in People Dying of Cancer

ContextStudies of opioid use in cancer patients have been cross-sectional or have focused on mean consumption over a specific time interval. ObjectivesThis study aimed to determine the temporal pattern of prescribed opioids at a population level. MethodsUsing Quebec administrative databases, we ascertained details of cancer-related deaths and filled community-based opioid prescriptions (COPs) in 48,420 decedents from 2003 to 2006. ResultsUsing group-based trajectory modeling, based on when people started to fill COPs, our population-based study demonstrated patterns of filled COPs with six distinct trajectories. An earlier start in opioid consumption resulted in a higher group average morphine daily dose; those who were already filling COPs at study entry (5.2%) had a final dose of more than 300mg by the time of death. Remarkably, 58.8% of people had not filled COPs with a biweekly average greater than 1mg earlier than two weeks before death, marking the end of follow-up. Breast cancer in women, prostate or colorectal cancer in men, and younger age and multiple myeloma in both sexes were positively associated with earlier filling of COPs. ConclusionPatients dying of cancer require increasing doses of opioids over time; although we cannot distinguish the relative contributions of disease progression and opioid tolerance, age and certain cancers seem related to this phenomenon. Given the potentially prohibitive cost of prospective epidemiological studies, more elaborate clinical administrative databases that include regular pain assessment are necessary to determine optimal opioid use and factors associated with dose increases over time at a population level.

Opioid-Induced Endocrinopathy in Cancer Patients: An Underestimated Clinical Problem

The impact of both endogenous and exogenous opioids on the endocrine system has been known for many years. With the increased use of opioids in chronic pain treatment, the research focuses mainly on their effects on the endocrine system in patients with chronic non-malignant pain. Despite the wide dissemination of cancer, there has been little research on the possible effects of opioids on the endocrine system in cancer patients. For the growing number of cancer survivors and patients in long-term remission who take opioids, other aspects of endocrine disorders caused or exacerbated by opioids will have practical and clinical importance. Conversely, this problem may be less relevant for patients in active cancer treatment or in the advanced stage of disease. This article presents the available research on the effects of opioids on the endocrine system and the clinical consequences resulting from opioid use in cancer patients. Clinicians who use opioids in clinical practice should be aware of the existence of the endocrine symptoms of opioid therapy. There is still a need for more research in this area to maintain the best possible quality of life for cancer patients treated with opioid analgesics.

Cancer patients’ first treatment episode with opioids: a pharmaco-epidemiological perspective

The factors underlying the choice of opioids for cancer patients in primary care are largely unknown. Our aim was to describe cancer patients' first treatment episode with opioids in relation to disease characteristics and clinical course. During 1997 and 1998, a population-based cohort of 4,006 incident cancer patients from a Danish county was identified. The patients were followed up from diagnosis to death or until 31 December 2003, and data on their use of opioids were obtained from a prescription database. Eventually, 54% of the cancer patients became incident users of opioids. Opioid treatment was initiated close to the diagnosis date in 20% of the patients. Most incident users (57%) were not terminal when they began using opioids, and 44% survived the first treatment episode. Of those who died, 70% received opioids in their terminal phase. The incidence rates of new opioid users were inversely related to the 5-year cancer survival period. A weak opioid was the first choice in 64% of the non-terminal users and in 43% of the terminal ones. No statistically significant differences in opioid use were found between men and women. Opioid use in cancer patients was not confined to the terminal course. Treatment with opioids should be viewed as a dynamic condition, with patients shifting between periods of use and non-use. The aggressiveness of the cancer and the presence of metastases were characteristics found to be strong determinants of opioid use.

Room F, 10/17/2000 2: 00 PM - 4: 00 PM (PS) Changing Pattern of Opioid Use in Cancer Patients after Admission to Intensive Care

<b>Room F, 10/17/2000 2: 00 PM - 4: 00 PM (PS) Changing Pattern of Opioid Use in Cancer Patients after Admission to Intensive Care</b>