Table 1 Patients’ characteristics (N = 49)

Sex

  Male/Female

43/6

Age (years-old)

69.0 ± 6.9

Body mass index (kg/m²)

20.4 ± 4.9

Cancer (Histology)

  Lung Cancer (Ad/SQ/SCLC/Others)

48 (26/14/4/4)

  Mesothelioma

1

Stage

  IIB/IIIA/IIIB/IV^a

1/4/7/37^a

ECOG PS

  0-1/2/3/4

28/13/5/3

Pain location^b

  Neck-shoulder/Upper limb/Chest/Hypochondrium/Lower back/Glutaeus to thigh

4/2/32/1/7/5

Pain causes^b

  Distant metastasis (bone)/Invasion/Pleural dissemination

22 (17)/18/11

Duration of cancer pain (months)

  mean ± SD

4.3 ± 4.4

  median (range)

2 (0.27–18)

Duration of controlled-release oxycodone administration (months)

  mean ± SD

2.0 ± 4.3

  median (range)

0.6 (0.1 - 19.7)

Fentanyl patch treatment site

  day 1

   Hospitalized/Outpatient

40/9

  day 8

   Hospitalized/Outpatient

32/17

  day 15

   Hospitalized/Outpatient

22/27

Concomitant systemic chemotherapy

  Yes/No

25/24

Concomitant radiotherapy

  Yes/No

12/37