title: Efficacy and tolerance of oral dipyrone versus oral morphine for cancer pain.
abstract: In a double-blind, randomised and parallel clinical trial, two oral doses of dipyrone (1 and 2 g) administered every 8 h were compared with 10 mg of oral morphine given every 4 h for the relief of chronic cancer pain. A total of 121 patients with cancer pain without gastric involvement participated in a 7-day treatment course and were allocated to receive either dipyrone 1 g (n = 41), dipyrone 2 g (n = 38) or morphine (n = 42). Drug efficacy was analysed according to the degree of pain relief using a 100-mm visual analogue scale, and the number of patients who decided to increase the dose of the analgesic drug on day 4. The analgesic effect of dipyrone, 2 g every 8 h, was similar to that of morphine. The efficacy of both schedules was significantly greater than that of dipyrone, 1 g every 8 h. Dipyrone at either 1 or 2 g doses tended to be better tolerated than morphine, although the differences were not statistically significant.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Carlos Haya, Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barutell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rull
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gálvez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pallarés
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aliaga
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puerta
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ortiz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004177:Dipyrone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement
chemical_list: D004177:Dipyrone; D009020:Morphine