NCT00726830

Methadone, Morphine, or Oxycodone in Treating Pain in Patients With Cancer

A Randomized Comparison of Oral Methadone as a "First-Switch" Opioid Versus Opioid Switching Between Sustained-Release Morphine and Oxycodone for Oncology-Hematology Outpatients With Pain Management Problems: The "Simply Rotate" Study

• Status: Terminated
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 1 (actual)
• Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

RATIONALE: Methadone, morphine, or oxycodone may help relieve pain caused by cancer. It is not yet known whether methadone is more effective than morphine or oxycodone in treating pain in patients with cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial is studying methadone to see how well it works compared with morphine or oxycodone in treating pain in patients with cancer.

Detailed description

OBJECTIVES: Primary * To compare the effectiveness of an opioid rotation to oral methadone versus an opioid rotation to another long-acting strong opioid (sustained-release morphine or oxycodone) in controlling pain (i.e., analgesia) in patients with cancer. Secondary * To compare the tolerability of an opioid rotation to oral methadone versus an opioid rotation to another long-acting strong opioid (sustained-release morphine or oxycodone). * To identify a subset of patients most likely to benefit from an opioid rotation to oral methadone, in terms of significant improvement in pain control or opioid tolerability. OUTLINE: This is a multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to their baseline opioid (morphine vs oxycodone). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms. * Arm I: Patients are switched from their current opioid medication (oxycodone or morphine) to methadone. Patients receive oral methadone 2-3 times daily for 4 weeks. * Arm II: Patients currently receiving oxycodone are switched to sustained-release (SR) morphine. Patients currently receiving morphine are switched to SR oxycodone. Patients receive either oral SR morphine or oxycodone 2-3 times daily for 4 weeks. Patients are assessed for pain control and complete a symptom questionnaire on days 1, 8, 15, 22, and 28.

Conditions

• Brain and Central Nervous System Tumors
• Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders
• Leukemia
• Lymphoma
• Lymphoproliferative Disorder
• Multiple Myeloma and Plasma Cell Neoplasm
• Myelodysplastic Syndromes
• Myelodysplastic/Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
• Pain
• Precancerous Condition
• Unspecified Adult Solid Tumor, Protocol Specific

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	methadone hydrochloride	Given orally
DRUG	morphine sulfate	Given orally
DRUG	oxycodone hydrochloride	Given orally

Timeline

• Start date: 2009-03-01
• Primary completion: 2010-09-01
• Completion: 2010-10-01
• First posted: 2008-08-01
• Last updated: 2020-09-24
• Results posted: 2012-12-06

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States