Expert Panel Consensus on Management of Advanced Cancer-Related Pain in Individuals With Opioid Use Disorder.
Jessica S Merlin, Dmitry Khodyakov, Robert Arnold, Hailey W Bulls, Emily Dao, Jennifer Kapo, Caroline King, Diane Meier, Judith Paice, Christine Ritchie, Jane M Liebschutz
Author Information
Jessica S Merlin: CHAllenges in Managing and Preventing Pain Clinical Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Dmitry Khodyakov: RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California.
Robert Arnold: Division of General Internal Medicine, Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Hailey W Bulls: CHAllenges in Managing and Preventing Pain Clinical Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Emily Dao: RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California.
Jennifer Kapo: Palliative Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Caroline King: Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Diane Meier: Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Center to Advance Palliative Care, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
Judith Paice: Feinberg School of Medicine, Division Hematology-Oncology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Christine Ritchie: Division of Palliative Care and Geriatric Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
Jane M Liebschutz: Division of General Internal Medicine, Center for Research on Health Care, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Importance: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is an important comorbidity in individuals with advanced cancer, in whom pain is common. Full-agonist opioid medications are the cornerstone of cancer pain management, but the existing literature does not address how to manage cancer pain in patients with OUD. Objective: To conduct an expert panel to develop consensus on the appropriateness of management of cancer pain in individuals with co-occurring advanced cancer and OUD. Evidence Review: A 3-round modified Delphi process was completed from August to October 2020 with 2 cases: patient with advanced cancer, pain, and OUD treated with buprenorphine-naloxone or methadone. Participants rated management strategies in round 1, discussed results in round 2, and provided final responses in round 3. ExpertLens, an online approach to conducting modified Delphi panels, was used. Participants were experts in palliative care, addiction, or both, recruited by email from palliative care and addiction-focused professional groups, lists from prior studies, and snowball sampling. Data analysis was performed from November 2020 to July 2021. Findings: Of 120 experts (median age, 40-49 years), most were White (78 participants [94%]), female (74 participants [62%]), and held MD or DO degrees (115 participants [96%]); 84 (70%) participated in all rounds. For a patient with OUD taking buprenorphine-naloxone, it was deemed appropriate to continue buprenorphine-naloxone with thrice-daily dosing. Continuing buprenorphine-naloxone and adding a full-agonist opioid was deemed to be appropriate for patients with a prognosis of weeks to months and of uncertain appropriateness for patients with a prognosis of months to years. For a patient with OUD taking methadone dispensed at a methadone clinic, it was deemed appropriate to take over prescribing and dose twice or thrice daily. Continuing methadone daily while adding another full-agonist opioid was deemed appropriate for patients with a prognosis of weeks to months and of uncertain appropriateness for those with a prognosis of months to years. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this qualitative study provide urgently needed, consensus-based guidance for clinicians and highlight critical research and policy gaps needed to facilitate implementation.
