Abstract
Few studies have investigated the effect of fentanyl delivered via the transdermal route with regard to the patient's psychological status. Patients who were naive to strong opioids and were attending a palliative care unit for pain relief from advanced cancer participated in this study to determine the effect of transdermal therapeutic system fentanyl (TTS-F) on their psychological condition. Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Karnofsky Performance Scale (100-0, optimum-death), and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (0: no pain; 10: worst pain) were used to measure the level of pain. Data were collected at baseline (T0), on the 7th day (T1), and on the 14th day (T2) of TTS-F application in order to determine changes in correlation to TTS-F dose. Patients' status improved according to the Zung SDS questionnaire (P < .0005) and with each of its subscales (P < .05). A similar improvement was observed according to the Spielberger STAI questionnaire (P < .002). Moreover, VAS measures demonstrated that patients achieved significant pain relief (P < .0005), while patients' performance status did not alter significantly over the study period. Furthermore, the Zung SDS showed a statistically significant correlation when compared with the Spielberger STAI (P < .01). These data provide some evidence that the psychological status, as measured with respect to depression and anxiety in patients with advanced cancer, is improved in patients receiving TTS-fentanyl. Future research should use a broad range of psychological measurements in order to assist the development of practices, which are aimed at the improvement of quality of life in these patients.