Patients with cancer pain are frequently under-medicated with morphine. This is a 56-day open-label study of the efficacy and safety of self-administered fentanyl skin patches for cancer pain control in patients in the home-care setting not previously using morphine. The first 15 days of the study are for dose stabilization and the rest of the study assesses pain control and quality of life at stable doses of medication. The dose is determined by the patient with oversight by the investigator, and rescue oral morphine medication can be used when necessary. The patient records all medication use in a diary and fills out questionnaires concerning pain control, intestinal function (constipation) and overall quality of life. The hypothesis is that patients will be able to control their cancer pain by self-administering transdermal fentanyl at home and that they will well tolerate the medication.
Individualized doses, with a target dose of 25 to 100 micrograms per hour of fentanyl for 56 days via skin patches applied every 3 days to deliver 25 to 100 micrograms of fentanyl per hour per patch; oral morphine as rescue medication for pain.
