Objective: Opioid analgesics are normally administered as monotherapy. However, we experienced a patient in whom alleviations of cancer pain, coughing and dyspnea were successfully achieved with the combination therapy of morphine and a fentanyl patch (FP), and the case is reported herein. Case Report: A woman in her fifties, suffering from sigmoid colon cancer, liver and lung metastases, and associated pain complicated with coughing and dyspnea, manifested symptomatic alleviations following the facilitation of treatment with morphine sulphate. Taking into consideration that oral intake would become difficult at some time in the future, treatment switchover to FP was planned. However, in view of the efficacy of fentanyl against coughing and dyspnea having not yet been firmly established, a low dose of morphine sulphate for coughing and dyspnea continued and cancer pain was controlled with FP. Thus, through continued combined use of the two ingredients, morphine and fentanyl, until treatment end, symptomatic alleviations of pain, coughing and dyspnea were able to be achieved. Conclusion: For patients experiencing difficulty with oral intake and suffering from coughing and dyspnea in addition to cancer pain, combined use of a low dose of morphine and FP is considered useful in achieving a stable alleviation of such symptoms.

Purpose: From shortly after the fentanyl patch became commercially available, we have been using it as part of our armamentarium for cancer therapy to produce a reliable analgesic effect from the active treatment period to the terminal stage in patients who are expected to develop resistance to oral analgesics. To confirm the usefulness of fentanyl patch, a retrospective study was conducted to determine its efficacy and safety. Method: A survey was conducted of 28 cancer patients who were undergoing pharmacological pain control. The following parameters were recorded: opioids administered prior to fentanyl patch use, reasons for switching to fentanyl patch, duration of administration and dosage of fentanyl patch, pain score before switching to fentanyl patch, adverse effects (nausea, vomiting, constipation and drowsiness), and the results of clinical tests. Results: The major reasons for switching to fentanyl patch were: "pain control with oral agents was expected to become difficult in future" and "adverse effects of chemotherapy were noted or were likely to develop". The mean duration of fentanyl patch use was 133 days, during which time the pain score and the constipation symptom were significantly reduced. No significant difference was found with nausea, vomiting, drowsiness or the results of clinical tests. Conclusion: It is concluded that fentanyl patch is a highly useful opioid for analgesia when administered during chemotherapy for cancer and continued to the terminal stage.

A correction of a coauthor's name from Chigusa Nakamura to Chigusa Nakagawa on the author list and the abstract.