Morphine as a suspect of aiding the propagation of cancer cells

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Kosin Med J. 2017;32(2):164-169

Publication date (electronic) : 2017 January 19

doi : https://doi.org/10.7180/kmj.2017.32.2.164

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Kosin University, Busan, Korea

Corresponding Author: Yusom Shin, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, College of Medicine, Kosin University,262, Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 49267, Korea Tel:＋82-51-990-6283 Fax:＋82-51-254-2504 E-mail: yusom2015@gmail.com

Received 2017 April 10; 2017 April 17; Accepted 2017 April 19.

Abstract

Controlling pain in cancer patients is important for several reasons including patient quality of life (QOL). In moderate-to-severe cancer-pain management, opioid analgesics are indispensable. Among these, morphine is the most representative. Unfortunately, many studies have shown that morphine is potentially associated with cancer growth, recurrence, and metastasis. Specifically, in animal as well as in vivo and in vitro studies, morphine has been demonstrated to have possibly positive effects on cancer progression. However, those effects have not yet been confirmed as entirely harmful, for several reasons: the results of animal and laboratory research have not been subjected to clinical trials; there are as yet no well-designed clinical studies, and indeed, some studies have shown that morphine can have negative, suppression effects on tumor growth. This review paper will present some of the data on the potentially positive relationships between morphine and cancer. It should not be forgotten, though, that such relationships remain controversial, and that pain itself promotes cancer progression.

Keywords: Metastasis; Morphine; Opioid

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