Progress in Clinical Application of Methadone in Cancer Pain Patients / 中国药师

ABSTRACT

Opioids are the main treatment drugs for the patients with moderate and severe cancer pain,and methadone is one of opioid drugs. Compared with the other opioids, methadone has the advantages of low cost, high oral bioavailability and better effect on neuropathic pain. However, methadone also shows such disadvantages as prolonged QT interval and large individual variance in pharmacokinetics. Although the safety of methadone has no difference from the other opioids in the treatment of cancer pain,the lack of knowledge and experience still limits its clinical application. This article aimed to summarize the clinical application of methadone in cancer patients,so as to help clinicians understand and apply methadone better.