Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25565884›Full record

ArticleJournal of pain research2015

Tapentadol prolonged release for severe chronic cancer-related pain: effectiveness, tolerability, and influence on quality of life of the patients.

Artur Schikowski, Doris Krings, Karla Schwenke

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of pain research, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. [Effect of morphine pump in prepontine cistern via lumbar approach for intractable head and neck cancer pain].Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Tapentadol in neuropathic pain cancer patients: a prospective open label study.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2017
    Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Artur SchikowskiNeurology and Specialist Pain Therapy, Specialist Center Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Doris KringsGrünenthal GmbH, Aachen, Germany.
Karla SchwenkeGrünenthal GmbH, Aachen, Germany.
Grünenthal Group (Germany) · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundClinical trials have shown the efficacy and good tolerability of tapentadol prolonged release (PR) for severe chronic pain of different etiologies. This study investigated the influence of tapentadol PR on pain control and quality of life of patients with severe chronic cancer-related pain in routine clinical practice in Germany. PATIENTS AND

methodsDuring a 3-month observation period, 45 physicians (mainly palliative care specialists) documented dosage and tolerability of tapentadol PR, previous and concomitant analgesic treatment, pain intensity, pain-related restrictions of daily activities and quality of life, and general state of health of 123 patients with chronic cancer-related pain in the context of a prospective noninterventional study.

resultsAll patients (mean age 63.9±13.2 years, 93.5% in constant pain) had received analgesic long-term treatment (42.3% strong opioids) prior to the start of tapentadol PR treatment. During the observation period, tapentadol PR significantly reduced the average pain intensity by 2.4 points (from a mean 6.1±1.7 to 3.7±2.0, P<0.001); half of the patients (52%) achieved a pain score ≤3 at the end of observation. At the same time, mental and emotional well-being, pain-related impairments of daily activities, sleep quality, and quality of life improved, while the overall intake of analgesic concomitant medication could be reduced. Improvements in general state of health were significant (P<0.001). Overall, tapentadol PR was well tolerated.

conclusionGood pain control with tapentadol PR was accompanied by markedly reduced pain-related mental and physical burden and quality of life improved. Overall, the general state of health of these patients with chronic cancer-related pain improved significantly despite the underlying illness.

Indexed as

chronic cancer-related paindaily clinical practicepain treatmentquality of lifetapentadol PR

Identifiers

PMID25565884
PMCPMC4278778
OpenAlexW2056656943

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.