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/lp/springer_journal/impact-of-opioid-use-on-health-care-utilization-and-survival-in-XCHuNMpx9L
- Publisher
- Springer Journals
- Copyright
- Copyright © 2018 by Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature
- Subject
- Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Nursing; Nursing Research; Pain Medicine; Rehabilitation Medicine
- ISSN
- 0941-4355
- eISSN
- 1433-7339
- D.O.I.
- 10.1007/s00520-018-4062-z
- Publisher site
- See Article on Publisher Site
Abstract
Purpose Patients with advanced cancers frequently experience pain. Opioids are commonly prescribed to treat cancer-related pain, but their use might be associated with undesirable consequences including adverse effects and tumor progression, resulting in increased heath care utilization and shorter survival. We examined these possibilities in a large cohort of patients diagnosed with ten common advanced malignancies. Methods We identified 1386 newly diagnosed patients with stage IV non-hematologic malignancies from 2005 to 2013 and ascertained opioid utilization within 90 days of starting anti-cancer treatment using electronic medical record and tumor registry data. Opioid utilization was stratified into low opioid (LO; < 5 mg oral morphine equivalents (OME)/day) and high opioid (HO; ≥ 5 mg OME/day). Health care utilization included tallies of emergency room, urgent care, and inpatient visits. The association of opioid use, tumor type prognosis, age, and gender with overall survival was analyzed in univariate and multivariate models. Results HO use patients (n = 624) had greater health care utilization compared to LO use patients (n = 762; p <0.05). HO use patients also had shorter survival (median survival, 5.5 vs 12.4 months; p < 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, HO use remained associated with shorter overall survival (HR 1.4;
Journal
Supportive Care in Cancer – Springer Journals
Published: Feb 2, 2018
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