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Methadone in the treatment of bone pain in a patient with disseminated breast cancer
, 4, 1, 1, 5
Affiliations- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Michała Oczapowskiego, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
- Non-public Saint Lazarius Health Care Unit, Armii Krajowej, 11-300 Biskupiec, Poland
- Department of Neurology, Regional Hospital, Żołnierska 18, 10-561 Olsztyn, Poland
- Laboratory of Quality of Life Research, Chair and Department of Palliative Medicine Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Faculty of Medicine University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland
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Abstract
Treatment of pain is an important element of therapeutic management in cancer patients. The article presents
the case of a patient diagnosed with breast cancer, which spread to the liver and lungs and presenting
with severe bone pain syndrome caused by lumbosacral metastases. Treatment of pain with non-opioid
analgesics, opioids, analgesic adjuvants and palliative radiotherapy proved ineffective. The addition of
small doses of methadone to the applied pharmacotherapy produced a satisfactory analgesic effect and a
significant functional improvement (an ability to move around without increased pain) as well as ensured
a better quality of patient’s life.
Abstract
Treatment of pain is an important element of therapeutic management in cancer patients. The article presents
the case of a patient diagnosed with breast cancer, which spread to the liver and lungs and presenting
with severe bone pain syndrome caused by lumbosacral metastases. Treatment of pain with non-opioid
analgesics, opioids, analgesic adjuvants and palliative radiotherapy proved ineffective. The addition of
small doses of methadone to the applied pharmacotherapy produced a satisfactory analgesic effect and a
significant functional improvement (an ability to move around without increased pain) as well as ensured
a better quality of patient’s life.
Keywords
adverse effects, methadone, opioid analgesics, pain, quality of life, treatment
About this articleTitle
Methadone in the treatment of bone pain in a patient with disseminated breast cancer
Journal
Palliative Medicine in Practice
Issue
Article type
Case report
Pages
115-119
Published online
2020-05-29
Page views
795
Article views/downloads
1039
DOI
Bibliographic record
Palliat Med Pract 2020;14(2):115-119.
Keywords
adverse effects
methadone
opioid analgesics
pain
quality of life
treatment
Authors
Krzysztof Nosek
Wojciech Leppert
Łukasz Puchała
Aleksandra Pawlos
Dariusz Onichimowski
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