Impact of Pain, Opioids, and the Mu-opioid Receptor on Progression and Survival in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Stage IV Pancreatic Cancer

Objectives: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is frequently associated with pain requiring opioid therapy. Opioids, however, have been implicated in causing tumor progression, ultimately shortening survival. We examined the impact of pain, opioid use, and the mu-opioid receptor (MOP-R) expression in tumor tissue on progression-free survival and overall survival of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Methods: We identified 103 patients with...