1. Dr Alison Giles Palliative Medicine Consultant
Pall Care Scenarios
Dr Alison Giles
Palliative Medicine Consultant

2. Rose, 65 year old lady has breast cancer with bone metastases
Rose, 65 year old lady has breast cancer with bone metastases. She has developed mild rib pain for the past two weeks. She attends her GP. She currently takes no medication.
What would you recommend?

3. Rose…
She is started on Paracetamol 1g QDS and occasional Ibuprofen 400mg PRN with good benefit. She also starts Omeprazole 20mg OD
However, two months later she returns saying that the pain is a bit worse.
What would you recommend?

4. Rose…
Starts taking morphine liquid. She takes Ordine 2.5mg every 4hours. She should continue to take the paracetamol and ibuprofen PRN.
She asks you about the side effects of morphine and is worried that she will become an “addict”

5. Opiate side effects Common Constipation Nausea Drowsiness Dry mouth
Dose Related: Respiratory depression
Rare
Itching
Sweating
Myoclonic jerks
Hypotension

6. Common concerns about opiates
“Addiction”
common concern, especially among the older age group
No evidence that this is a problem in the palliative care setting
“I must be dying”
Previous experiences of loved ones

7. Rose
Rose returns 3 days later, she has been taking Ordine 5mg 4hrly and the pain is much better. However, she is finding it inconvenient taking the morphine every 4 hours.
Thoughts?

8. Other opiates to consider…
Buprenorphine
Transdermal (Norspan)
Oxycontin
Fentanyl
Available in transdermal patches
Change every three days
Ok for patients in renal failure
Hydromorphone

9. Rose…
She comes back three months later complaining of pain in a particular spot in her ribs. Her morphine has been increased to MST 50mg BD.
The GP telephones the oncologist who suggests radiotherapy may be helpful.
She receives a single fraction to the painful spot and two weeks later the pain is improved.

10. Rose
Six months later Rose is much less well. She has lost weight and is very weak. She is admitted to the hospice for terminal care. Rose is no longer able to take the painkillers orally as she is too weak.
How else can we administer the medications?

11. Another example
82 year old man with metastatic prostate cancer. He has bone metastases and has had radiotherapy treatment to a painful hip. He has monthly bisphosphonate infusions for his bone pain.
He is currently taking Paracetamol 1g QDS and Tramadol 50mg TDS. He is still complaining of pain in his hip.
What is the next step?

12. Started on MS Contin 15mg BD.
Dose gradually titrated up to MS Contin 40mg BD with good effect
He has issues with ongoing constipation
What are the options?

13. He swaps to Fentanyl 25mcg/hr patch which he changes every three days
His pain is well controlled.
However three months later he calls out his GP. He tells him he has now put two patches on because he has terrible lower back pain. He has fallen twice in the last couple of days.

14. Malignant spinal cord compression…

15. Mr S… 64 yr man Squamous cell lung cancer – stage 3
Treated with chemo and radiotherapy
Good response
5 months after chemo completed presents with confusion
Differential diagnoses…