Effects of Oral Morphine on Dyspnea in Patients with Cancer: Response Rate, Predictive Factors, and Clinically Meaningful Change (CJLSG1101)

Conclusion.Oral morphine was effective and feasible for treating cancer‐related dyspnea. A higher score for “sense of discomfort” on the CDS and a smaller cumulative amount of smoking may be predictive factors of the effectiveness of oral morphine.Implications for Practice.This study demonstrated that oral morphine was effective in alleviating cancer‐related dyspnea due to multiple factors including primary lung lesions, airway narrowing, and pleural effusion. Approximately 76% of patients reported that oral morphine was effective. A higher score for “sense of discomfort” on the Cancer Dyspnea Scale and a lower cumulative amount of smoking may be predictive factors for the effectiveness of oral morphine. Interestingly, respiratory rates in patients who reported the morphine to be effective decreased significantly after oral morphine administration, unlike the respiratory rates in “morphine‐ineffective” patients.

Source: The Oncologist - July 16, 2019 Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Kosuke Takahashi, Masashi Kondo, Masahiko Ando, Akira Shiraki, Harunori Nakashima, Hisashi Wakayama, Kensuke Kataoka, Masashi Yamamoto, Yasuteru Sugino, Mitsunori Nishikawa, Kazuyoshi Imaizumi, Eiji Kojima, Atsushi Sumida, Yoshihiro Takeyama, Hiroshi Sait Tags: Symptom Management and Supportive Care Source Type: research