GuidelineSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2008
The management of dyspnea in cancer patients: a systematic review.
Guideline in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2008. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 116 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systemic corticosteroids for the management of cancer-related breathlessness (dyspnoea) in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Benzodiazepines for the relief of breathlessness in advanced malignant and non-malignant diseases in adults.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2016Pooled it
- Psychosocial interventions for patients and caregivers in the age of new communication technologies: opportunities and challenges in cancer care.Journal of health communication · 2015Pooled it
- Effects of a Sound Intervention on Physical and Emotional Well-Being in Patients with Cancer: A Prospective Randomized Trial.Oncology research and treatment · 2023Trial
- Dexamethasone for Dyspnea in Cancer Patients: A Pilot Double-Blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2016Trial
- Trial
- Treating cancer-related symptoms in patients exhibiting nonmedical opioid use behaviours: a retrospective chart review study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Inhaled nebulised medications in palliative care - a survey among palliative care practitioners in Germany.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Morphine induces physiological, structural, and molecular benefits in the diabetic myocardium.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2021Article
- How successful are we in relieving terminal dyspnea in cancer patients? A real-world multicenter prospective observational study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020Observational
- Management of dyspnea in palliative care.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2020Article
- Predictors of the Usefulness of Corticosteroids for Cancer-Related Fatigue in End-of-Life Patients.Clinical drug investigation · 2017Article
- Hospital without dyspnea: rationale and design of a multidisciplinary intervention.Journal of geriatric cardiology : JGC · 2016Article
- Attitudes Toward Use of Benzodiazepines among U.S. Hospice Clinicians: Survey and Review of the Literature.Journal of palliative medicine · 2016Review
- [Dyspnea, itching and depression in palliative medicine].Schmerz (Berlin, Germany) · 2016Article
- Creating computable algorithms for symptom management in an outpatient thoracic oncology setting.Journal of pain and symptom management · 2013Article
- Continuous morphine infusion for end-stage lung cancer patients.Oncology letters · 2013Article
- Do high symptom scores trigger clinical actions? An audit after implementing electronic symptom screening.Journal of oncology practice · 2012Article
- Certain bio-psychosocial-spiritual problems associated with dyspnea among advanced cancer patients in Taiwan.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2012Article
- Dyspnea in palliative care: expanding the role of corticosteroids.Journal of palliative medicine · 2012Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
goals of workThe goal of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of four drug classes (opioids, phenothiazines, benzodiazepines, and systemic corticosteroids) for relieving dyspnea experienced by advanced cancer patients. MATERIALS AND
methodsA systematic literature review was conducted to July 2006. Search sources included MEDLINE, EMBASE, HealthSTAR, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. Four reviewers selected evidence using predefined criteria: controlled trials not limited to cancer and involving the specified drug classes for dyspnea treatment. MAIN
resultsThree systematic reviews, one with meta-analysis, two practice guidelines, and 28 controlled trials were identified. Most examined the effect of opioids, generally morphine, on dyspnea. Although the results of individual trials were mixed, the systematic review with meta-analysis detected a significant benefit for dyspnea with systemic opioids; two small placebo-controlled trials in cancer patients found systemic morphine reduced dyspnea, and dihydrocodeine also significantly reduced dyspnea in four placebo-controlled trials. Nebulized morphine was not effective in controlling dyspnea in any study or the meta-analysis. No controlled trials examined systemic corticosteroids in the treatment of cancer patients, and of the other non-opioid drugs examined, only oral promethazine, a phenothiazine, showed some benefit in the relief of dyspnea. Studies varied in methodological quality.
conclusionsSystemic opioids, administered orally or parenterally, can be used to manage dyspnea in cancer patients. Oral promethazine may also be used, as a second-line agent if systemic opioids cannot be used or in addition to systemic opioids. Nebulized morphine, prochlorperazine, and benzodiazepines are not recommended for the treatment of dyspnea, and promethazine must not be used parenterally.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.