Onkológia 1/2017

Opioid analgesics in cancer pain treatment

Treatment of cancer pain is an essential part of oncological treatment. There is a generally accepted consensus that opioid treatment is the treatment of choice for moderate and severe cancer pain. Treatment guidelines were developed based on the understanding of opioid pharmacology, already existing knowledge and clinical experience. Presented are the barriers to a successful treatment of a cancer patient, the most appropriate choice of opioid based on its characteristics, advantages and limits, as well as the basic principles of dosing titration and long-term treatment, taking into account the side effects and restrictions in the long-term treatment with opioid analgesics.

Keywords: opioid analgesics, barriers of treatment, selection of the most appropriate opioid, side effects and risks