Opioid switching in cancer patients

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The substitution of another opioid for a previous one in order to improve the clinical response has largely been reported as opioid switching, aimed to improve the opioid response in different clinical conditions.

Areas covered: Existing data from literature have been reviewed to cover the different aspects of opioid switching in cancer patients.

Expert commentary: Opioid switching has been reported to produce a clinical improvement in a large number of patients with chronic cancer pain presenting a poor response to one opioid. Despite the favourable effects reported with opioid switching, data are based on open studies, most of them being retrospective or small case series.

KEYWORDS:

• Opioid switching
• opioid rotation
• cancer pain
• opioid-related adverse effects

Declaration of interest

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.