Temporal course and predictive factors of analgesic opioid requirement for chemoradiation-induced oral mucositis in oropharyngeal cancer

Background Oral mucositis (OM)-related pain affects most patients with head and neck cancer during treatments, but its management is not standardized. Methods We retrospectively collected data about the opioid therapy used for OM-induced pain in all patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) between 2009 and 2013. To compare the different opioids, a conversion into oral morphine equivalent daily dose (OMEDD) was performed. The highest OMEDD (h-OMEDD) and the opioids' weekly increase were associated with patient, tumor, or treatment-related characteristics in order to identify predictive factors of opioid consumption. Results Ninety-seven percent of patients received opioids. The h-OMEDD was significantly correlated with a higher OM-grade and a lower smoking history. The weekly opioids' increase was higher in patients with lower smoking history and human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity. Conclusion Opioid therapy remains the mainstay for OM-related pain management during CRT. The role of previous smoking and HPV on opioid use needs further confirmations.