[Use of methadone in the elderly with cancer pain: a systematic review].
OBJECTIVE
To identify the clinical use of methadone as an analgesic in the management of cancer pain in elderly patients.


METHODS
We performed a systemic review of the literature on the specific use of methadone in elderly with cancer pain in MEDLINE, COCHRANE DATABASE and SCOPUS. A second search was conducted in MEDLINE to look for clinical trials and systematic review of the use of methadone in cancer pain, selecting only those in which the mean age of patients was ≥ 65 years old.


RESULTS
Four articles were obtained in the first search, and from the second 7 clinical trials, none of them specific to methadone use in elderly patients with cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
There are insufficient data on the use of methadone as an analgesic in the elderly with cancer. Given its pharmacological characteristics it must be used by trained personnel. Several recommendations are proposed for its use as an analgesic in the treatment of cancer pain in the elderly.
Servicio de Oncología Médica, Institut Català d́Oncologia, Hospital Duràn i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España.
Miren
M
Taberna
Servicio de Cuidados Paliativos, Institut Català d́Oncologia, Hospital Duràn i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España; Grup de Cures Pal·liatives, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España; Facultat de Medicina, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, España.
Christian
C
Villavicencio-Chávez
Servicio de Cuidados Paliativos, Institut Català d́Oncologia, Hospital Duràn i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España; Grup de Cures Pal·liatives, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL), L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España; Càtedra de Cures Pal·liatives-Centre d'Estudis Sanitaris i Socials, Universitat de Vic, Vic, España; Comisión de Oncogeriatría, Institut Català d́Oncologia, Hospital Duràn i Reynals, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España. Electronic address: jgonzalez@iconcologia.net.
Jesús
J
González-Barboteo
D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D008691:Methadone
Aged; Anciano; Dolor; Metadona; Methadone; Neoplasia; Neoplasms; Pain