[Clinical study of one-day fentanyl patch in patients with cancer pain--evaluation of the efficacy and safety in relation to treatment switch from opioid analgesic therapy].

BACKGROUND

In patients with moderate to severe cancer pain receiving treatment with opioid analgesics, the treatment was switched from the existing opioid analgesic to the 1-day fentanyl patch (the "1-day formulation"), and the efficacy and safety of the 1-day formulation were evaluated.

METHODS

The preceding opioid analgesic therapy was switched to therapy with the 1-day formulation, at a dose level corresponding to the daily dose level of the preceding opioid analgesic. The pain control rate was evaluated 10 days after the treatment switch. The dose level of the 1-day formulation was kept unchanged for the first 2 days after the treatment switch.

RESULTS

The pain control rate with the 1-day formulation was 81.8% (54/66 patients). In 57.6% (38/66) of patients, the treatment switch to a low-dose 1-day formulation (0.3 or 0.6 mg x day(-1)) yielded sustained pain control. The adverse reactions to the 1-day formulation observed in this study were similar to those previously reported for the Durotep MT Patch (the "3-day formulation"). No severe adverse reactions, such as respiratory depression, were noted in the present study. Thus, the 1-day formulation was well-tolerated.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with moderate to severe cancer pain, switching of opioid analgesic therapy to 1-day formulation therapy has been shown to be safe and useful, following rotation from other opioids, for controlling cancer pain. The demonstrated utility was similar to that associated with the 3-day formulation.