Efficacy and Safety of Transdermal Fentanyl (TDF) in Treatment of Pain Caused by Interventional Embolization Therapy

Objective: Interventional embolization therapy is well accepted in cancer treatment, but patient may suffer from a moderate-to-severe pain after therapy and its quality of life (QoL) is influenced, this study is to observe the efficacy and safety of transdermal fentanyl (TDF) in the management of pain caused by interventional embolization therapy. Methods: Morphine 10mg and TDF 25 mu g/h were immediately used in 52 patients who had moderate-to-severe pain complicated by interventional embolization therapy, the pain intensity was evaluated by visual analogue scale ( VAS). If VAS >= 4 at 12 h after treatment, the dosage of TDF added into 50 mu g/h. At Oh, 12h, 24h, 72h, 1 week, 2 weeks after TD, the vas and adverse events were observed respectively. Result: There was an obvious decrease in VAS at 12h after TDF treatment in the patients of which only 9 patients used 50ug/h dosage after partial splenic embolization (PSE) therapy. Most patients got satisfactory pain relief both the TDF 25 mu g/h and TDF 50 mu g/h group ( VAS 0-1). The adverse events were nausea, vomiting and dizzy, especially in the TDF 50 mu g/h group. No respiratory depression was observed and only one patient got retention of urine. Conclusion: TDF was effective and safe in the treatment of moderate-to-severe pain after interventional embolization therapy.