Publication alert! New article in BJM Supportive and Palliative Care: PaSo paracetamol with strong opioids trial: paracetamol versus placebo in conjunction with strong opioids for cancer pain—a pilot randomised placebo-controlled withdrawal trial
Our research addresses a central question in the management of cancer-related pain: does the combination of paracetamol with strong opioids provide any additional analgesic benefit compared with strong opioids alone in patients with moderate to severe cancer pain?
As this was a feasibility study, the aims and statistical power were not designed to provide a definitive answer to this question. However, the observation that pain scores and opioid consumption did not increase following paracetamol withdrawal in the experimental arm may be regarded as a clinically meaningful signal.
The findings from this pilot feasibility study have informed the design and initiation of a large-scale randomized controlled trial, the ParaStop trial (EudraCT number: 2020-005123-36), which aims to provide definitive evidence on the added analgesic value of paracetamol in this patient population.