Use of oral formulations of fentanyl for breakthrough cancer pain

Abstract

Pain is one of the most common symptoms that palliative care teams face on a daily basis, affecting up to 70% of people with a malignancy (Soden et al, 2010) and significantly impacting on a patient's quality of life (QoL)(Bornemann-Cimenti et al, 2013). Breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) is identified as sudden in onset, self-limiting, severe in intensity, and with an average duration of 30 minutes (Handsaker et al, 2013; Bhatnagar et al, 2014). It is estimated to be prevalent in 40–80% of those with cancer pain (Handsaker et al, 2013).