title: Oxycodone for cancer-related pain: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxycodone in cancer-related pain, we conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Four studies, comparing oral oxycodone with either oral morphine (n = 3) or oral hydromorphone (n = 1), were suitable for meta-analysis. Standardized mean differences in pain scores comparing oxycodone with control groups were pooled using random-effects models. Overall, there was no evidence that mean pain scores differed between oxycodone and control drugs (pooled standardized mean difference, 0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.29 to 0.36; P = .8; I(2) = 62%). In meta-regression analyses, pain scores were higher for oxycodone compared with morphine (0.20; 95% CI, -0.04 to 0.44) and lower compared with hydromorphone (-0.36; 95% CI, -0.71 to 0.00), although these effect sizes were small. The efficacy and tolerability of oxycodone are similar to morphine, supporting its use as an opioid for cancer-related pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, England. Colette.reid@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: Colette M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Jonathan A C
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sterne
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Geoffrey W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hanks
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D010098:Oxycodone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D010098:Oxycodone