Sachin Kale, MD, a specialist in palliative medicine at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, described on June 17 how his team managed pain for a cancer patient with a history of opioid use disorder.
Kale said the patient, a 40-year-old woman who had been in recovery from opioid use disorder for ten years, was concerned about the risk of relapse due to the common use of opioids to treat cancer-related pain. “But our team devised a plan to safely manage her pain by emphasizing non-opioid pain management options and using opioids only when needed, as well as offering her counseling, close follow-up, and team-based care,” said Kale.
Kale serves as founding director of the Palliative Harm Reduction and Resiliency Clinic at Ohio State’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and is also a professor of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Ohio State Health and Discovery addresses societal issues such as health equity and substance use to promote inclusive well-being; includes hospitals and outpatient facilities as part of its academic medical center; seeks to advance health in Ohio and worldwide through innovations in research, education, patient care and community involvement; offers resources on health topics including wellness, research advances and community health initiatives; and focuses on health care, research and education, according to the official website.
The approach outlined by Kale highlights coordinated care plans that prioritize both effective symptom control for cancer patients while considering risks associated with substance use disorders.
