TY - JOUR
T1 - Opioid switching in cancer pain
T2 - From the beginning to nowadays
AU - Mercadante, Sebastiano
AU - Bruera, Eduardo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
PY - 2016/3/1
Y1 - 2016/3/1
N2 - Opioid switching is the process of changing from one opioid to another to obtain a satisfactory clinical balance between analgesia and adverse effects. This pharmacological technique has been introduced about 20 years ago to enhance the opioid response in advanced cancer patients with chronic pain. More information is now available. This review will examine many different aspects of opioid switching, including the history and evolution through the last decades, some clinical aspects based on the most recent experience, controversies on the indications, conversion ratios and modalities of switching in some specific circumstances, and evidence based recommendations.
AB - Opioid switching is the process of changing from one opioid to another to obtain a satisfactory clinical balance between analgesia and adverse effects. This pharmacological technique has been introduced about 20 years ago to enhance the opioid response in advanced cancer patients with chronic pain. More information is now available. This review will examine many different aspects of opioid switching, including the history and evolution through the last decades, some clinical aspects based on the most recent experience, controversies on the indications, conversion ratios and modalities of switching in some specific circumstances, and evidence based recommendations.
KW - Cancer pain
KW - Opioid rotation
KW - Opioid switching
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84959508686&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2015.12.011
DO - 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2015.12.011
M3 - Review article
C2 - 26806145
AN - SCOPUS:84959508686
SN - 1040-8428
VL - 99
SP - 241
EP - 248
JO - Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
JF - Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
ER -