Oxycodone for cancer-related pain - Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxycodone in cancer-related pain, we conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Four studies, comparing oral oxycodone with either oral morphine ( n= 3) or oral hydromorphone ( n= 1), were suitable for meta-analysis. Standardized mean differences in pain scores comparing oxycodone with control groups were pooled using random-effects models. Overall, there was no evidence that mean pain scores differed between oxycodone and control drugs ( pooled standardized mean difference, 0.04; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.29 to 0.36; P=. 8; I-2= 62%). In metaregression analyses, pain scores were higher for oxycodone compared with morphine ( 0.20; 95% CI, -0.04 to 0.44) and lower compared with hydromorphone (-0.36; 95% CI, -0.71 to 0.00), although these effect sizes were small. The efficacy and tolerability of oxycodone are similar to morphine, supporting its use as an opioid for cancer-related pain.