Journal of pain and symptom management
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2014
Review Meta AnalysisA network meta-analysis of the efficacy of opioid analgesics for the management of breakthrough cancer pain episodes.
With many medications available for the management of breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP), physicians may require additional guidance in selecting an appropriate medication to suit an individual patient's needs. ⋯ From current evidence, although all BTCP medications provided pain relief within the time frames assessed, transmucosal fentanyl medications achieved a greater level of pain relief in a shorter time frame than placebo or oral morphine.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2014
Prospective longitudinal evaluation of a symptom cluster in breast cancer.
Symptom cluster research expands cancer investigations beyond a focus on individual symptoms in isolation. ⋯ With the exception of anxiety, the coherence of the symptom cluster was supported by similar patterns of severity and change over time in these symptoms (trend for sleep quality). Participants with higher SCI scores prior to chemotherapy continued to experience greater symptom burden during and after chemotherapy. Early assessment and intervention addressing this symptom cluster (vs. individual symptoms) may have a greater impact on patient performance status and quality of life for patients with higher SCIs.
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J Pain Symptom Manage · Apr 2014
Case ReportsThe use of octreotide to manage symptoms of bronchorrhea: a case report.
Octreotide, a synthetic analogue of the hormone somatostatin, is primarily used in palliative medicine because of its antisecretory effect and has been shown to be effective in the management of bowel obstruction, nausea, and diarrhea. Octreotide also has been successfully used for the management of bronchorrhea in both inpatient and outpatient settings. We report the case of a 47-year-old female with a history of bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma whose copious bronchial secretions were controlled with octreotide. Octreotide should be further evaluated as a first-line treatment for bronchorrhea.