Chronic opioid use after laryngeal cancer treatment

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Chronic opioid use after laryngeal cancer treatment Via Head & Neck Abstract Background Survivors of head and neck cancer may be at increased risk for chronic opioid use and questions remain about risk factors. Methods Retrospective study of patients with laryngeal cancer prescribed opioids utilizing the Truven Health Marketscan database. Patients had laryngeal cancer, underwent treatment, filled an opioid prescription, and were enrolled in this private insurance plan 1 year prior to and after treatment. Results In this study, 7484 patients were included; 17.2% developed chronic opioid use, defined as consecutive opioid fills at least 90 days after treatment cessation. Early opioid use (OR = 3.607, 95% CI [3.125–4.163]), tobacco use (OR = 1.28, 95% CI [1.117–1.467]), median morphine milligram equivalent (MME; OR = 1.001, 95% CI [1.000–1.0001]), and radiation alone (OR = 1.435, 95% CI [1.199–1.717]) were predictive of chronic opioid use. Conclusions Nearly one in five patients prescribed opioids during treatment developed chronic use. Providers should discuss the risk of chronic opioid use, set expectations for opioid weaning, and consider adjunct pain regimens to develop effective pain management strategies. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.