Treatment for Chronic Pain in Patients With Advanced Cancer

Summary

RATIONALE: Different drug formulations and combinations of drugs may help patients with chronic pain live more comfortably. It is not yet known which regimen is most effective for chronic pain. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of different morphine formulations with or without dextromethorphan in treating chronic pain in patients who have advanced cancer.

Timeline

Start

1998-06-11

Primary completion

2001-09-26

Completion

2009-02-10

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

paper Although average pain scores (12.6 vs. 15.8), number of breakthrough doses (9 vs. 11.3), and change in total morphine consumption (550.9 mg vs. 597.1mg) were less in the DM group than placebo group, the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.31-0.33). PMID 17397698 ↗

paper This study showed a statistically nonsignificant enhancement of analgesia or modulation of opioid tolerance in cancer patients with pain when DM was added to morphine. PMID 17397698 ↗

Publications

• Results MacDonald S, Dudgeon DJ, Bruera E, et al.: A phase III double-blind equivalence study of two different formulations of slow-release morphine followed by a randomization between dextromethorphan or placebo plus Statex SR for chronic cancer pain relief in terminally ill patients. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 21: A-1521, 2002.
• Results Dudgeon DJ, Bruera E, Gagnon B, Watanabe SM, Allan SJ, Warr DG, MacDonald SM, Savage C, Tu D, Pater JL. A phase III randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating dextromethorphan plus slow-release morphine for chronic cancer pain relief in terminally ill patients. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2007 Apr;33(4):365-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2006.09.017.

Drugs

Indications