Efficacy and safety of sublingual fentanyl orally disintegrating tablet at doses determined from oral morphine rescue doses in the treatment of breakthrough cancer pain

Abstract

Patients treated with strong opioid analgesics at fixed intervals for chronic cancer pain and with oral morphine at doses up to 20 mg as rescue medication were investigated. The doses of sublingual fentanyl to treat breakthrough pain were determined from rescue morphine doses by use of conversion ratios. In these patients, administration of sublingual fentanyl at doses determined by a conversion ratio of 1/50 was effective and safe. Further studies are needed to validate the use of this conversion method.