Pharmacologic Interventions for Breathlessness in Patients With Advanced Cancer : A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Key Points

Question

What are the benefits and harms associated with pharmacologic interventions for managing breathlessness in adults with advanced cancer?

Findings

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 19 studies (17 randomized clinical trials and 2 retrospective studies) found that opioids and anxiolytics were not associated with improved breathlessness in patients with advanced cancer within the limits of the identified studies, which mainly focused on exertional breathlessness for opioids. Data on harms were too limited to draw conclusions.

Meaning

Although the existing data on opioids and pharmacologic interventions do not show an association with improved breathlessness in advanced cancer, they may be considered in selected patients in the context of potential harms and the evidence of an association of nonpharmacologic interventions with improved breathlessness.

Abstract

Importance

Improved survival in patients with advanced cancer has increased the need for better understanding of how to manage common symptoms that they may experience, such as breathlessness.

Objective

To assess the benefits and harms associated with pharmacologic interventions for breathlessness in adults with advanced cancer.

Data Sources

PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched for studies published from database inception through May 31, 2020, using predefined eligibility criteria within a PICOTS (population, intervention, comparator, outcome, timing, setting) format.

Study Selection

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), non-RCTs, and observational studies with a comparison group that evaluated benefits and/or harms and cohort studies that reported harms were selected.

Data Extraction and Synthesis

Two reviewers independently screened studies for eligibility, serially abstracted data, independently assessed risk of bias, and graded strength of evidence (SOE).

Main Outcomes and Measures

Benefits and harms of pharmacologic interventions were compared, focusing on breathlessness, anxiety, exercise capacity, and health-related quality of life. When possible, meta-analyses were conducted and standardized mean differences (SMDs) calculated.

Results

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, a total of 7729 unique citations were identified, of which 19 studies (17 RCTs and 2 retrospective studies) that included a total of 1424 patients assessed the benefits of medications for management of breathlessness in advanced cancer or reported harms. The most commonly reported type of cancer was lung cancer. Opioids were not associated with more effectiveness than placebo for improving breathlessness (SMD, −0.14; 95% CI, −0.47 to 0.18) or exercise capacity ( SMD, 0.06; 95% CI, −0.43 to 0.55) (SOE, moderate); most studies examined exertional breathlessness. Specific dose and/or route of administration of opioids did not differ in effectiveness for breathlessness (SMD, 0.15; 95% CI, −0.22 to 0.52) (SOE, low). Anxiolytics were not associated with more effectiveness than placebo for breathlessness or anxiety (reported mean between-group difference, −0.52; 95% CI, −1.045 to 0.005) (SOE, low). Evidence for other pharmacologic interventions was limited. Pharmacologic interventions demonstrated some harms compared with usual care, but dropout attributable to adverse events was minimal in these short-term studies (range 3.2%-16%).

Conclusions and Relevance

Evidence did not support the association of opioids or other pharmacologic interventions with improved breathlessness. Given that studies had many limitations, pharmacologic interventions should be considered in selected patients but need to be considered in the context of potential harms and evidence of an association of nonpharmacologic interventions with improved breathlessness.

Abstract

This systematic review assesses the benefits and harms of pharmacologic interventions for breathlessness in adults with advanced cancer.