Efficacy and safety of transdermal fentanyl for treatment of oral mucositis pain caused by chemotherapy

Background/objective: We investigated the efficacy and safety of transdermal fentanyl for severe mucositis pain caused by chemotherapy. Methods: Thirty-two patients who had moderate to severe pain using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) were enrolled in this study. The analgesic effect, quality of life and side effects were evaluated after the administration of transdermal fentanyl. Results: The median NRS score was reduced from 6 (range 4 – 9) before treatment to 4 (range 0 – 9), 2.5 (range 0 – 8), 2 (range 0 – 8), 2 (range 0 – 6) and 0 (range 0 – 5) on days 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15, respectively, after treatment (p < 0.001). The patients' quality of life also improved significantly (p < 0.01). The side effects of treatment were mild, and disappeared within several days. Conclusions: Transdermal fentanyl is an effective, convenient and well-tolerated treatment for severe mucositis pain caused by chemotherapy that can improve patients' quality of life.