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Dec 1, 2023

Cancer patients with opioid use disorder face obstacles to treatment

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

A cancer diagnosis can greatly disrupt treatment with methadone, a medication used to treat patients with opioid use disorder, according to a perspective piece published in the New England Journal of Medicine by University of Pittsburgh researchers.

Through the lens of a specific patient treated with methadone for many years and later diagnosed with head and , the authors discuss how segregating methadone distribution from general medical care is problematic and emphasize the need to integrate opioid use disorder treatment and improve .

Before his diagnosis, the patient was afforded a 28-day supply of take-home methadone doses, which he self-administered and, per clinic and federal regulations, returned to the clinic every 28 days for monitoring and refills.

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