Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Aug 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyEfficacy and safety of transdermal buprenorphine: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 289 patients with severe cancer pain.
Strong opioids are recommended for treating severe cancer pain in the advanced stages of the disease. Few data are available concerning the efficacy of buprenorphine in cancer pain. We compared transdermal buprenorphine 70 microg/h (BUP TDS) to placebo in an enriched design study. ⋯ This result was supported by a lower daily pain intensity, lower intake of buprenorphine sublingual tablets and fewer dropouts in the BUP TDS group. The incidence of adverse events was slightly higher for BUP TDS. In conclusion, BUP TDS 70 microg/h is an efficacious and safe treatment for patients with severe cancer pain.