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Cancer investigation · Jul 2013
The use of transdermal buprenorphine to relieve radiotherapy-related pain in head and neck cancer patients.
- Johan Menten, Isabelle Carpentier, Harlinde Deschutter, Sandra Nuyts, and Karen Van Beek.
- Radiation Oncology Department, University Hospital Leuven, Herestraat, Leuven, Belgium. johan.menten@uzleuven.be
- Cancer Invest. 2013 Jul 1; 31 (6): 412-20.
AbstractMany head and neck cancer (HNC) patients experience painful therapy-related mucositis and dermatitis. This prospective observational study evaluated transdermal buprenorphine use in HNC patients to relieve treatment-related pain. During treatment with paracetamol or tramadol, visual analogue scale (VAS)-pain scores >30/100 occurred in 26/45 patients 4 weeks after starting cancer therapy, persisting for ≥2 weeks after treatment. These patients subsequently received transdermal buprenorphine. Pain therapy should be more accurately up-titrated to the maximum recommended dose (140 μg/hr) where necessary to maintain pain scores ≤30/100 and, for some patients, should be continued for 6 weeks after the last cancer treatment day.
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