Cancer survivors and opioid dependency

Cancer survivors are more likely to be prescribed opioids, even up to 10 or more years following their cancer diagnosis, according to a recent publication in Cancer. Some patients develop a tolerance for the drug, requiring increasing doses to get the same pain-killing effect. Younger cancer survivors, those from rural neighborhoods, and those with lower income and more medical problems had an even higher rates of opioid prescriptions. And while researchers can’t say from this study exactly why cancer survivors tend to be more likely to be prescribed painkillers, they highlight a new area of research that could affect how we treat cancer pain. ABC News, 07/08/17