title: Ten cases of palliation of cancer pain with morphine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With the discovery of novel opioids in recent years, it has become feasible to alleviate various forms of cancer pain. If the characteristics of individual opioids are exploited depending on pain-related factors in cancer patients may yield satisfactory pain relief with a low incidence of adverse reactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved 10 patients (5 male and 5 female) with cancerous abdominal pain, for whom the original opioid regimen was switched to morphine alone or continued in combination with morphine. The primary disease was gastric cancer in 5 patients, and uterine cervix, ovary cancer, leukemia, malignant pleuroperitoneal mesothelioma, and colon cancer in 1 patient each. Pain assessment was carried out using the Numerical Rating Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all the 10 cases, the opioid administered first was fentanyl; the pain relief was inadequate. Satisfactory pain relief was achieved in all patients by switchover to morphine alone or by concomitant administration of morphine with fentanyl.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enhanced gastrointestinal motility accounts, at least in part, for cancerous abdominal pain. Further, this kind of pain can be relieved by suppression of gastrointestinal motility with morphine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Care , Division of Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara, Kanagawa 259-1193, Japan. st_kazu0206@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Kazuho
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshino
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishiumi
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikami
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokuda
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010166:Palliative Care
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine; D005283:Fentanyl