Abstract:

Objective To investigate the effects of morphine, methylprednisolone and aminophylline on the management of dyspnea in patients with advanced cancer. Methods One hundred and seventy patients with advanced cancer suffering from dyspnea were randomly managed with morphine (5 to 10 mg, subcutaneous injection; morphine group, n=60), methylprednisolone (40 mg, intravenous administration; methylprednisolone group, n=55) and aminophylline (0.25 g, intravenous administration; aminophylline group, n=55), and the visual analogue scale (VAS) was adopted to evaluate the therapeutic effects. Results There was no significant difference in VAS among three groups before treatment (P>0.05). VAS after treatment was significantly lower than that before treatment in each group (P<0.01). VAS after treatment in morphine group, methylprednisolone group and aminophylline group were (12.82±11.40) mm, (24.58±17.51) mm and (34.25±17.75) mm respectively, and VAS in morphine group was significantly lower than those in methylprednisolone group and aminophylline group (P<0.01). The effective rate in control of dyspnea in morphine group (86.67%) was significantly higher than those in methylprednisolone group (67.27%) and aminophylline group (50.91%)(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion Morphine is more effective than methylprednisolone and aminophylline for dyspnea management in advanced cancer, and can improve the quality of life in patients with advanced cancer.

Key words: morphine, methylprednisolone, aminophylline, dyspnea, advanced cancer