Lazzari, M., Greco, M.T., Marcassa, C., Finocchi, S., Caldarulo, C., & Corli, O. (2015). Efficacy and tolerability of oral oxycodone and oxycodone/naloxone combination in opioid-naive cancer patients: A propensity analysis. Drug Design, Development and Therapy, 9, 5863–5872. 

To compare the analgesic efficacy and safety, and quality of life of oxycodone (OXY) compared with oxycodone/naloxone (OXN) combination in treating opioid-naïve patients

Patients were seen at three or four different times when starting long-acting oxycodone products.

• N = 131   
• AGE = 62 years
• MALES: 52.1%, FEMALES: 47.9%
• CURRENT TREATMENT: Not applicable
• KEY DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Solid tumor
• OTHER KEY SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS: Pain

• SITE: Single site   
• SETTING TYPE: Not specified    
• LOCATION: Rome, Italy

PHASE OF CARE: Multiple phases of care

Retrospective, observational, three data collection time periods—T0, T30, and T60. T15 available for patients who needed closer monitoring.

• Pain intensity
• Neuropathic pain using Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire
• Daily dose of medications
• Dose increments
• Quality of life
• Chronic Pain Sleep Inventory
• Physical and Mental Component Summary scores of the Short Form-12 Health Survey Questionnaire
• Bowel Function Index
• Safety evaluations

The patients who received OXN had better early improvement in bowel function than the patients who received OXY (p < 0.001).

OXN and OXY have similar analgesic effects, but OXN seems to have better bowel outcomes.

• Baseline sample/group differences of import
• Risk of bias (no control group)
• Risk of bias (no blinding)
• Risk of bias (no random assignment)
• Key sample group differences that could influence results 
• Measurement/methods not well described
• Subject withdrawals ≥ 10%

OXN may have better bowel function outcomes compared with OXY in patients starting analgesics.