Abstract

Background: Cancer pain is one of the most frequent and relevant symptoms in cancer patients and impacts on patient's quality of life. International and local standards recommend as an initial strategy the use of an analgesic scheme composed of strong opioids associated with adjuvants such as acetaminophen, based upon the assumption that combining drugs could have a better analgesic effect, could allow lowering opioid dosing, and could prevent the occurrence of adverse effects of opioids. However, there is uncertainty about the impact of acetaminophen as an adjuvant in patients who use strong opioids for moderate to severe pain management in cancer patients. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of intravenous acetaminophen associated with strong opioids in hospitalized adult cancer patients who have moderate to severe cancer-related pain.