Association Between Opioid Use and Sensory Perception in Patients with Cancer Pain: A Neurometric Study

Pain Med. 2026 Jun 12:pnag071. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnag071. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Opioids are a cornerstone of cancer pain management; however, their effects on sensory and pain thresholds in routine clinical settings remain incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between opioid use and neurometric sensory and pain thresholds in patients with cancer-related pain.

METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study assessed quantitative sensory function using the Neurometer®. Current perception thresholds (CPT) and pain thresholds (PT) for Aβ, Aδ, and c fibers were evaluated in 208 adult patients with cancer pain in a hospital-based palliative care setting. Patients were classified according to opioid use, and age-adjusted analyses were performed.

RESULTS: Pain thresholds did not differ between the opioid and non-opioid groups in either unadjusted or age-adjusted analyses across all fiber types. After adjustment for age, a significant between-group difference was observed for Aβ CPT, whereas CPT for Aδ and c fibers did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with cancer-related pain, routine opioid use was not associated with clinically meaningful alterations in pain thresholds in this cohort; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously given the cross-sectional design and potential residual confounding.

PMID:42286956 | DOI:10.1093/pm/pnag071