AIDS and cancer pain treated with slow release morphine.

The use of slow release morphine was compared between those with cancer and those with advanced HIV disease in two retrospective studies covering a total of 512 patients at home. Pain was found to be less severe in HIV/AIDS but still requiring opioid use in over a third of patients of which 14% needed subcutaneous diamorphine infusion when seriously ill at home. Slow release morphine was used by 45% of those with cancer and 17% of those with HIV/AIDS. It was found to be a simple and convenient preparation for use at home with most patients never needing more than 30 mg twice daily. Half the cancer patients prescribed slow release morphine were able to take it until the day of death.