Association Between Opioid Use and Sensory Perception in Patients with Cancer Pain: A Neurometric Study.

BACKGROUND

Opioids are a cornerstone of cancer pain management; however, their effects on sensory and pain thresholds in routine clinical settings remain incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between opioid use and neurometric sensory and pain thresholds in patients with cancer-related pain.

METHODS

This cross-sectional observational study assessed quantitative sensory function using the Neurometer®. Current perception thresholds (CPT) and pain thresholds (PT) for Aβ, Aδ, and c fibers were evaluated in 208 adult patients with cancer pain in a hospital-based palliative care setting. Patients were classified according to opioid use, and age-adjusted analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Pain thresholds did not differ between the opioid and non-opioid groups in either unadjusted or age-adjusted analyses across all fiber types. After adjustment for age, a significant between-group difference was observed for Aβ CPT, whereas CPT for Aδ and c fibers did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with cancer-related pain, routine opioid use was not associated with clinically meaningful alterations in pain thresholds in this cohort; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously given the cross-sectional design and potential residual confounding.