OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to investigate in a real-life context the effectiveness of long-term opioid therapy for reducing pain intensity and interference and improving health-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic noncancer pain.

METHODS

Participants were 893 patients (age = 52.4 ± 14.1, female = 62.4%) enrolled in the Quebec Pain Registry (2008-2011) who completed questionnaires before their first visit at one of three multidisciplinary pain management clinics and 6 and 12 months thereafter. Based on their opioid use profile (OUP), patients were categorized as nonusers, non-lasting users, or lasting users. Data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS

More than 60% of patients newly initiated on opioid therapy stopped their medication mainly because of adverse effects and/or lack of pain relief. OUP significantly predicted pain intensity and interference and physical QOL (pQOL; values < 0.001). Lasting users of opioids reported higher levels of pain intensity and interference and poorer pQOL than nonusers and/or non-lasting users over the 12-month follow-up ( values < 0.001). However, all effect sizes were small, thus questioning the clinical significance of these group differences. Among lasting users, more than 20% of patients experienced a meaningful amelioration in pain intensity and interference as well as mental QOL (mQOL), whereas only 8% exhibited improved pQOL.

DISCUSSION

A significant subgroup of patients may benefit from long-term opioid therapy in terms of pain severity and mQOL but the majority do not. The challenge facing clinicians is how to identify who the responders will be.