Effects of Age Among Elderly Cancer Patients on Breakthrough Pain Management with Sublingual Fentanyl Tablets

Introduction Sublingual fentanyl tablets (SFTs) have been shown to be a safe and effective option in controlling breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP). However, further examination is required to investigate the use of SFTs among the elderly. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of age in BT...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Drugs in R&D 2019-09, Vol.19 (3), p.247-254
Main Authors: Guitart, Jordi, Vargas, María Isabel, De Sanctis, Vicente, Folch, Jordi, Salazar, Rafael, Fuentes, José, Coma, Joan, Ferreras, Julia, Moya, Jordi, Tomás, Albert, Estivill, Pere, Rodelas, Francisco, Jiménez, Antonio Javier, Sanz, Almudena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Administration, Sublingual
Age groups
Aged
Analgesics, Opioid - administration & dosage
Breakthrough Pain - drug therapy
Cancer
Cancer Pain - drug therapy
Female
Fentanyl
Fentanyl - administration & dosage
Humans
Internal Medicine
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neoplasms - complications
Older people
Original
Original Research Article
Pain
Pain Management - methods
Pharmacology/Toxicology
Pharmacotherapy
Tablets - administration & dosage
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Summary:Introduction Sublingual fentanyl tablets (SFTs) have been shown to be a safe and effective option in controlling breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP). However, further examination is required to investigate the use of SFTs among the elderly. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of age in BTcP management with SFTs in the elderly population. Methods We performed subgroup analyses of a recently completed trial in two subsets of individuals: patients aged 65–74 years (low age group) and patients ≥ 75 years (high age group). Pain intensity (PI), onset of pain relief, frequency and duration of BTcP episodes, and adverse events (AEs) were assessed at 3, 7, 15, and 30 days. Health status instruments used were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A and HADS-D) and the Short Form 12, version 2 (SF-12v2) questionnaire. Results Levels of PI at the end of the study improved significantly as compared with baseline in both the low and the high age groups (30.0% and 27.7% reduction, respectively). The onset of analgesia at the end of the study began in 
ISSN:1174-5886
1179-6901
DOI:10.1007/s40268-019-0276-x