Journal of Palliative Care & Medicine
Open Access

Abstract

Purpose: Up to 90% of pancreatic cancer patient suffering from neuropathic pain. In the palliative care setting, pain control in a pancreatic cancer patient is one of the major goals. Ketamine is a NMDA receptor antagonist effective in neuropathic pain. Also, there have been studies about the opioid-sparing effect of ketamine. This study was held in palliative care unit among pancreatic cancer patients to find out the difference between ketamine and opioid use between men and women. Methods: Medical records of pancreatic cancer patients admitted to St.Mary’s hospital palliative care unit from 2013.1 to 2014.12 were reviewed. Total ketamine dose and total opioid dose were compared between men and women. All opioid medication was converted to OME(oral morphine equivalents). Results: 57 men and 49 women with pancreatic cancer were on opioid and ketamine during admission. Compared to men, women required higher dose of total ketamine dose(men 123.4mg vs women 268.2mg, P=0.18), total basal opioid(men 361mg vs women 564mg, P=0.18), total PRN opioid(men 172mg vs women 286mg, P = 0.135), daily average ketamine(men 13.7 vs women 17.5, P=0.47) and daily average opioid(men 27.5 vs women 32.2, P=0.67) but it none of the variables showed statistical significance. Conclusion: In this study, female pancreatic cancer patients required more opioid and ketamine, compared to male pancreatic cancer patients although it did not have a statistical difference. Future prospective studies about the palliative use of ketamine and the difference between sex in a larger number of patients are required.

Biography

Kyung min Kwon has graduated from Yonsei college of medicine of Korea as Medical Doctor, currently working as a clinical fellow in St.Mary’s hospital family medicine department. In pursuit of Doctor of Medicine in Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine.

E-mail: kmkwins@naver.com