ArticleJournal of geriatric oncology2025
Opioids and benzodiazepines in oncology: Perspectives on coprescribing and mitigating risks.
Article in Journal of geriatric oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Double Jeopardy: Risks of Opioid-Benzodiazepine Co-prescription in Older Adults with Gastrointestinal Cancer.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026Article
- Immunological Drug-Drug Interactions in Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Mechanisms, Clinical Evidence, and Artificial Intelligence.Current oncology reports · 2026Review
- Association of opioid and benzodiazepine coprescribing with adverse events among older adults with cancer.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
introductionOpioids and benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed for cancer symptoms. In combination, they can increase the risk of adverse events, particularly for older adults with multimorbidity, who represent most patients with cancer. We aimed to understand cancer care providers' practices for opioid and benzodiazepine coprescribing and mitigating potential harms. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe interviewed oncology and palliative care providers from two health systems. Interviews focused on attitudes about and current practices for coprescribing opioids and benzodiazepines. We analyzed interview transcripts using a staged approach to thematic analysis.
resultsTwenty providers (10 oncology, 10 palliative care) participated. We identified three key themes. (1) Reluctance to prescribe benzodiazepines: providers reported rarely coprescribing because they do not routinely prescribe benzodiazepines, which were viewed as having a poor safety profile. (2) Medication safety precautions: these included starting at a low dose and titrating up slowly, consolidating prescriptions under one provider whenever possible, and providing patient and caregiver education around side effects, overdose, and naloxone. Compared to oncologists, palliative care providers more often described providing naloxone to patients and caregivers. (3) Risk assessment and monitoring: most providers mentioned checking state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program databases and conducting chart reviews to identify evidence of substance misuse history. Several oncologists expressed discomfort in asking about substance misuse history due to concerns about stigma. Providers described sometimes relying on their perception of a patient's trustworthiness, with some acknowledging the potential for bias. DISCUSSION: We highlight opportunities to improve medication review and reconciliation practices in oncology, increase uptake of naloxone in oncology practice, systematize efforts to screen patients for substance misuse, and strengthen integration of addiction and psychiatry services into oncology and palliative care settings. Regular use of geriatric assessment in oncology would also address many of the safety concerns we observed.
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Registered trials
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