| Inclusion Criteria: | 1) Individual reporting average pain score for the last 24 hours that is at least a 4 on a numerical scale from 0 to 10 (0= no pain, 10=the worst possible pain) with a history of cancer (active or no evidence of disease).
2) Individual is receiving strong opioids (morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, hydromorphone) for 3 weeks prior to enrollment.
3) Individual requires at least 150 mg of daily morphine equivalent daily dose for cancer pain. Using the formula MEDD = dose X MEDD Factor (App L) it would be follows: morphine: a 24 hour total oral intake (sum of PRN and around the clock doses) of 150 mg or greater would qualify the patient, for fentanyl alone: a 24 hour total transdermal intake of 75mcg/h or greater would qualify the patient, for oxycodone alone: a 24 hour total oral intake of 100 mg or greater would qualify the patient, and for hydromorphone alone: a 24 hour total oral intake of 30 mg/day or greater would qualify the patient.
4) Individual has the ability to receive morphine or methadone orally.
5) Individual has no known allergy of history of severe toxicity to morphine or methadone.
6) Individual has normal cognition defined as normal state of arousal and absence of obvious clinical findings of confusion, memory or concentration deficit.
7) Individual has adequate renal function (creatinine less or equal to 2.0 MG/DL)
8) Individual has a Zubrod performance status of 3 or lower.
9) Individual is willing to sign written informed consent.
10) Individual is 18 years of age or older.
11) Individual on stable doses(on same dose for at least one week) of nonopioid analgesics including NSAIDS, corticosteroids, gabapentin, pregablin or antidepressants prescribed for the purposes of pain control.. |