Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41193885›Full record

Observational studySupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Opioid use in patients aged 90 years or older with terminal cancer in a palliative care unit: a single-center retrospective observational study.

Ryota Yanaizumi, Yusuke Nagamine, Shinsuke Harada, Shuri Yoshino, Megumi Negishi, Shino Murata, Yoko Kuroki, Rie Sato, Mayumi Kinoshita, Takahisa Goto

Erratum issuedAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Ryota YanaizumiDepartment of Palliative Care, Yokohama City University Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Yusuke NagamineDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Yokohama City University Hospital, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-Ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Kanagawa, Japan. ynagamin@yokohama-cu.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0443-5007
Shinsuke HaradaYu Home Care Clinic Asahi, Yokohama, Japan.
Shuri YoshinoDepartment of Palliative Care, Yokohama City University Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Megumi NegishiNursing department, Seirei Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Shino MurataDepartment of Anesthesiology, Seirei Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Yoko KurokiDepartment of Anesthesiology, Seirei Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Rie SatoDepartment of Anesthesiology, Seirei Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Mayumi KinoshitaDepartment of Anesthesiology, Seirei Yokohama Hospital, Yokohama, Japan.
Takahisa GotoDepartment of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Yokohama City University Hospital, 3-9 Fukuura, Kanazawa-Ku, Yokohama, 236-0004, Kanagawa, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe number older patients with cancer who are terminally ill is expected to increase with global population aging. However, reports on the actual use of opioids for pain relief in patients aged ≥ 90 years with cancer at the end of life are limited.

methodsTo investigate opioid use in older patients with cancer aged ≥ 90 years who died in a palliative care unit. Patients with cancer who died in the palliative care unit between August 2020 to August 2024 and were aged ≥ 90 years were included. We analyzed their data on opioid use, including opioid type and route of administration, and morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD), at the time of death.

resultsNinety-one patients with cancer were included in the study. Their median age was 92.0 years (interquartile range [IQR] 91.0-93.0). Seventy-six patients (83.5%) were administered opioids at the time of death, and hydromorphone delivered via continuous subcutaneous injection was the most common (41 patients). The median MEDD at the time of death for the 76 patients was 19.6 mg/day (IQR 12-42). Four patients were administered high doses of opioids (MEDD of > 120 mg/day) at the time of death.

conclusionOf the patients aged ≥ 90 years with cancer who were terminally ill, more than 80% had used opioids. Their median MEDD tended to be low at 19.6 mg/day. Future studies are required to help appropriately use opioids for patients aged ≥ 90 years with cancer.

Indexed as

Analgesics, OpioidCancer PainNeoplasmsPalliative CareAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesTerminal CareAnalgesics, OpioidCancerOlder patientOpioidPalliative care unitTerminally ill

Identifiers

PMID41193885

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.