NCT01493635

Two Step Versus the Standard Three Step Approach of the WHO Analgesic Ladder for Cancer Pain Relief.

An International, Multicentre, Open Randomised Parallel Group Trial Comparing a Two Step Approach for Cancer Pain Relief With the Standard Three Step Approach of the WHO Analgesic Ladder in Patients With Cancer Pain Requiring Step 2 Analgesia.

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 152 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Edinburgh · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The World Health Organization analgesic ladder for cancer pain relief is an internationally used approach to managing cancer pain. Patients generally start on Step 1 of the ladder (paracetamol). As pain increases or is not well controlled on this, they progress to Step 2 which involves a stronger pain killer (weak opioid such as codeine). If pain is still not controlled they progress to Step 3 of the ladder which is a strong opioid (such as morphine). Work to date has suggested that Step 2 may be unnecessary and most patients usually require Step 3 analgesia. The TVT trial aims to examine the standard approach (Step 1-Step2-Step-3) versus a two step approach (Step 1-Step 3).

Conditions

• Cancer
• Pain

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	analgesic ladder	Patients will be managed according to the standard 3 Step approach of the WHO analgesic ladder (Step 1 - Step 2 - Step 3).
OTHER	analgesic ladder	Patients managed according to the WHO analgesic ladder bypassing Step 2, i.e. patients will move from Step 1 of the WHO analgesic ladder to Step 3.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-11-01
• Primary completion: 2016-03-01
• Completion: 2016-03-01
• First posted: 2011-12-16
• Last updated: 2017-05-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom