Revista de Tratamento e Medicina da Dor

Abstrato

Cannabinoid Association with Opioid in Cancer Pain Management Therapy: A Systematic Review

Helena Freitas

Background: Cancer is the disease that causes the highest numbers of morbidity and mortality in the world, being one of the main symptoms chronic pain. Moderate and severe pain is usually treated with opioids, whose efficacy is proven but with several risks for the patient. Medical cannabis appears as a new hope for these patients. This study aims to understand whether the concomitant use of cannabinoids and opioids allows a more effective management of pain and reduce opioid use in cancer patients.

Methodology: This systematic review was done through a search in three databases for published articles that included the concomitant use of cannabinoids and opioids for the treatment of cancer-related pain. The results were presented in a table indicating the results obtained, as well as the population under study.

Results: 10 studies between 2011 and 2021 with a total of 4,963 participants were considered. The studies range from randomized controlled-trials, prospective surveys and a case study. Most studies have reflected benefits in pain control and reduced use of opioids.

Discussion: Several studies pointed at a possible benefit of using cannabinoids and opioids in association to manage cancer-related pain, but there is a need for further investigation.