The use of opioids for treatment of cancer pain

Introduction: Pain is commonly experienced by patients with cancer, particularly those with advanced disease. Alleviating pain is an important goal of cancer treatment. Opioids are the cornerstone of the analgesic treatment.

Areas covered: Pharmacology, characteristics, and use of opioids in clinical practice are presented.

Expert opinion: Although the use of opioids is largely accepted as a fundamental step for controlling cancer pain, existing data supporting this statement are poor. All opioids provide analgesia and are effective in controlling cancer pain. New drugs have been developed and experience is accumulating among clinicians. Despite these drugs having different pharmacokinetic and chemical properties, there is no proof that one opioid is better than another one. Thus, the optimum benefit depends on the experience of the users. Clinicians should weight evidence, clinical experience, patient preferences, and treatment costs when choosing the optimal treatment for an individual patient with cancer pain. New opioids with specific receptor activities are under investigation.