Sublingual Methadone for the Management of Cancer-related Breakthrough Pain in Outpatients
Cancer, Pain
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Cancer focused on measuring Sublingual Methadone, Cancer related breakthrough pain, feasibility study, Phase II/open label, Outpatients, Safety/ efficacy, previously receiving opioids, speak English
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Pain due to cancer or its treatment; controlled baseline pain; episodes of breakthrough pain every day that are "4/10" in severity or greater, ; ast 10 minutes or longer, and are responsive to short acting oral opioids such as morphine or hydromorphone; are able to hole a volume of 1.0cc of water under the tongue for a 5-minute period; are able to provide written informed consent; are able to fill out the study forms Exclusion Criteria: Severe underlying respiratory disease such that an investigator is wary about the risk of respiratory failure from modest doses of opioid; prior sensitivity to methadone; currently are being administered methadone; have breakthrough pain that in the opinion of the investigator is likely to change within the next seven days (recent or imminent radiation therapy to the main site of pain, new chemotherapy or use of an injectable bisphosphonate likely to alter the pain, new use corticosteroids within the past week with a corresponding change in pain, or other interventions judged likely to alter pain); are clinically unstable or have a life expectancy of less than one month making completion of the trial unlikely
Sites / Locations
- Tom Baker Cancer Center
- Tom Baker Cancer Centre
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Experimental
Pharmacokinetic
One episode of breakthrough pain was to be evaluated per patient. Clinical status and bloodwork was evaluated prior to entering into this phase of the trial, and patients were eligible if bloodwork demonstrated a HgB of >90 g/L with no concurrent bleeding. A peripheral intravenous catheter was inserted and saline locked. When breakthrough pain was experienced, methadone was administered, and the patient completed a pain intensity numeric rating scale at time 0 and every 10 minutes for one hour. A 10 cc specimen of blood was collected prior to administration of methadone, and again every 10 minutes for one hour. Blood was collected without anticoagulant, allowed to clot, separated by centrifugation, and serum samples flash frozen. Serum methadone levels were quantified by LC/MS/MS with comparison to isotopically labeled internal standards