Non-Steroid Anti-Inflammatory Agents for Management of Cold Sweating in Advanced Cancer Patients / 한국호스피스완화의료학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Advanced cancer may accompany cold sweat as paraneoplastic symptom. Few studies have been performed on the efficacy of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in advanced cancer patients who sweated without fever. METHODS: To select study participants, medical records were retrospectively reviewed for patients who satisfied the following criteria 1) incurable, advanced solid cancer; 2) Cold sweating of 4 or higher on the numeric rating scale (NRS) 4; 3) No evidence of infection or hypoglycemia; 4) No newly started opioid or anti-hormonal agents within one month; 5) NSAID prescription for the management of cold sweating and 6) Documented NRS information before and after NSAID administration. RESULTS: A total of 13 patients were selected after excluding four patients due to lack of NRS information or fever. The mean age was 59 years old (range 50~71), and nine patients (69%) were male. Bile duct cancer was the most common primary tumor followed by pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer and prostate cancer. The mean NRS of cold sweating dropped from baseline 6.5 (min-max 4~10) to 1.9 at the follow-up assessment (min-max 0~5). The mean follow-up period was 9.1 days (range 2~30 days) from NSAID treatment to assessment. CONCLUSION: NSAID was effective medication for management of sweating without fever in patients with advanced cancer.