FENTANYL BY CONTINUOUS SUBCUTANEOUS INFUSION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF CANCER PAIN - A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Twenty-two patients who received fentanyl by continuous subcutaneous i nfusion for treatment of cancer pain were evaluated retrospectively. N o local toxicities were noted. Five patients were switched from transd ermal fentanyl due to uncontrolled pain; three achieved stability, acc ompanied by improvement in visual analogue scores for pain. Seventeen patients were switched from other opioids due to toxicity; 10 achieved stability, with documented improvement in toxicity in seven. The medi an dose ratio of opioid prior to switchover (mg/day) to fentanyl at st abilization (mg/day) was 85.4 (range 65-112) for morphine and 23.0 (ra nge 10.7-29.7) for hydromorphone. Of six stable patients switched from subcutaneous to transdermal fentanyl, four maintained stability. We c onclude that fentanyl by continuous subcutaneous infusion is a useful alternative for cancer patients who experience uncontrolled pain while receiving transdermal fentanyl or who experience toxicity on other op ioids. J Pain Symptom Manage 1998;16:323-326. (C) U.S. Cancer Pain Rel ief Committee, 1998.