Fox Chase Cancer Center Doctors Prescribe Newly Approved Pain Drug

PHILADELPHIA (May 6, 1999) -- The new and highly effective oral pain medication Actiq (Ak'-tik) is now available by prescription.� The recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides Fox Chase Cancer Center doctors with a new weapon in treating breakthrough pain suffered by half of all cancer patients already on round-the-clock medications.

Described as a lozenge with a handle, the medication works by absorption through the lining of the cheek directly into the bloodstream.� This allows for quicker relief of breakthrough pain.� Breakthrough cancer pain is a flare of severe cancer pain, which " breaks through" the medication that is already being administered at regular intervals for persistent cancer pain.

"This is the only medication available for quick pain relief short of an injection," said Michael H. Levy, director of Fox Chase Cancer Center's pain management clinic.� "Pain control is every cancer patient's right."

Breakthrough cancer pain is particularly difficult to treat due to its unpredictable, severe, and rapid onset.� Approximately 50 percent of all cancer pain patients, more than 800,000 patients in the United States, experience breakthrough cancer pain.

Actiq is the first product specifically designed and studied for breakthrough cancer pain. Available only to adults by prescription, Actiq is indicated only for patients with chronic cancer pain, requiring around the clock opioid analgesis.� The most common side effects observed with Actiq are drowsiness, nausea, vomiting and dizziness, which are generally associated with opioid therapy.

"Pain control should be convenient and work quickly," adds Levy. "Relieving a person's pain helps restore their dignity."

Fox Chase Cancer Center is one of 35 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation.� Fox Chase activities include basic and clinical research; prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer; and community outreach programs.