Drugs & aging · 2026
Opioid Use in Older Adults with Cancer Pain Admitted to an Acute Palliative Care Unit: Does Age Matter? A Secondary Analysis.
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Mercadante Sebastiano, Grassi Yasmine, Settepani Sofia, Cascio Alessio Lo, Casuccio Alessandra
Аннотация
BACKGROUND: Cancer pain in older adults presents unique management challenges because of age-related pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes. Data on age-stratified opioid prescribing within acute palliative care units remain scarce.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the influence of age on opioid dosing, drug selection, and breakthrough pain management in patients with advanced cancer admitted to an acute palliative care unit.
METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective observational study conducted over 5 months. Patients were stratified into three cohorts: adults (A, aged <65 years), young-old (O, aged 65-75 years), and old-old (OO, aged >75 years). Opioid doses, expressed as oral morphine equivalents (mg/24 h), drug choice, and route of administration were recorded at admission, at each opioid prescription change, and at discharge. Kruskal-Wallis tests with pairwise post hoc comparisons using Holm correction and Friedman tests were used for between- and within-group analyses, respectively.
RESULTS: One-hundred and thirteen patients were analyzed (A: n = 46, O: n = 43, OO: n = 24). No significant differences in oral morphine equivalents were observed at admission (p = 0.177). Significant between-group differences emerged from the first opioid prescription (p = 0.007), persisted at the second prescription (p = 0.026), and were most pronounced at discharge (p < 0.001). Pairwise post hoc comparisons consistently showed higher oral morphine equivalent doses in adults than in both geriatric age groups, whereas no significant differences were observed between the young-old and oldest-old groups. Methadone was used predominantly in adults. At the first breakthrough pain prescription, adults also received significantly higher rescue oral morphine equivalent doses than the two older groups (p < 0.05). Pain intensity significantly improved from admission to discharge in all three age groups, with no significant between-group differences observed either at admission or at discharge.
CONCLUSIONS: Age was associated with clinically significant differences in opioid prescribing within the acute palliative care unit. Compared with patients aged ≥65 years, adults aged <65 years received higher opioid doses and more complex opioid regimens, whereas prescribing patterns were similar in the two geriatric age groups. Despite age-related differences in opioid prescribing, comparable pain control was achieved across all age groups (see Table 1 and Results), supporting individualized age-tailored opioid titration in specialist palliative care.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the influence of age on opioid dosing, drug selection, and breakthrough pain management in patients with advanced cancer admitted to an acute palliative care unit.
METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of a prospective observational study conducted over 5 months. Patients were stratified into three cohorts: adults (A, aged <65 years), young-old (O, aged 65-75 years), and old-old (OO, aged >75 years). Opioid doses, expressed as oral morphine equivalents (mg/24 h), drug choice, and route of administration were recorded at admission, at each opioid prescription change, and at discharge. Kruskal-Wallis tests with pairwise post hoc comparisons using Holm correction and Friedman tests were used for between- and within-group analyses, respectively.
RESULTS: One-hundred and thirteen patients were analyzed (A: n = 46, O: n = 43, OO: n = 24). No significant differences in oral morphine equivalents were observed at admission (p = 0.177). Significant between-group differences emerged from the first opioid prescription (p = 0.007), persisted at the second prescription (p = 0.026), and were most pronounced at discharge (p < 0.001). Pairwise post hoc comparisons consistently showed higher oral morphine equivalent doses in adults than in both geriatric age groups, whereas no significant differences were observed between the young-old and oldest-old groups. Methadone was used predominantly in adults. At the first breakthrough pain prescription, adults also received significantly higher rescue oral morphine equivalent doses than the two older groups (p < 0.05). Pain intensity significantly improved from admission to discharge in all three age groups, with no significant between-group differences observed either at admission or at discharge.
CONCLUSIONS: Age was associated with clinically significant differences in opioid prescribing within the acute palliative care unit. Compared with patients aged ≥65 years, adults aged <65 years received higher opioid doses and more complex opioid regimens, whereas prescribing patterns were similar in the two geriatric age groups. Despite age-related differences in opioid prescribing, comparable pain control was achieved across all age groups (see Table 1 and Results), supporting individualized age-tailored opioid titration in specialist palliative care.