- With Mayo Clinic medical oncologist
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
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Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
"As a practicing medical oncologist, I meet with patients and families every day to help manage their course through this disease called cancer. This experience provides unique insight into the needs of cancer patients, their families and loved ones and brings into sharp focus the need for reliable information to be readily available in terms that can be easily understood." — Dr. Timothy Moynihan
Dr. Timothy Moynihan believes that providing consumers accurate, timely information on the broad, complex topic of cancer is the biggest challenge facing medical Web sites. As the guiding force behind our cancer coverage, he makes sure Mayo Clinic meets the test.
Dr. Moynihan, born in Las Vegas, N.M., but raised in Denver, is a consultant in medical oncology at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice and palliative care medicine. He did his medical oncology training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and then went on to the University of Minnesota and St. Paul Regions Medical Center in St. Paul, Minn., for seven years before moving to Mayo Clinic in 1999. Dr. Moynihan is director of the palliative care program at Mayo Clinic and associate medical director of the Mayo Clinic hospice.
Dr. Moynihan currently serves as the education chair for the Department of Medical Oncology and fellowship program director. Four times he has been selected as Teacher of the Year in medical oncology and elected to the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame. Past honors include distinguished clinical teacher at the University of Minnesota Medical School, best internist at the Medical College of Wisconsin and recipient of The Upjohn Achievement Award for Excellence in Medicine. He serves on several national committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
"The Internet provides a ready source of information on a wide range of topics of interest to those affected by cancer," Dr. Moynihan says. "The difficulty is trying to decide which sites provide reputable information and which information is relevant to each individual patient. The long history and tradition of excellence associated with Mayo Clinic assures you that information provided will be reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive."
Risk factors (1)
- Cell phones and cancer: What's the risk?
Tests and diagnosis (3)
- Small cell, large cell: What these cancer classifications mean
- Tumor vs. cyst: What's the difference?
- Atypical cells: Are they cancer?
Causes (1)
- Night shift and cancer: Any connection?
Complications (1)
- Cachexia in advanced cancer: What's the best treatment?
Treatments and drugs (9)
- EGFR inhibitor cancer therapy: What are the side effects?
- Opiate addiction and cancer therapy: Is it a concern?
- PICC line: How is it used for chemotherapy?
- see all in Treatments and drugs
Alternative medicine (2)
- High-dose vitamin C: Can it kill cancer cells?
- Curcumin: Can it slow cancer growth?
Prevention (1)
- Goji juice: Can it lower my cancer risk?
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Question
Opiate addiction and cancer therapy: Is it a concern?
My mother is receiving opiate medication for cancer pain. Should I be concerned about opiate addiction?
Answer
from Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
People who receive opioid medications for cancer pain aren't likely to experience opiate addiction.
People with cancer may experience significant pain when the cancer invades certain tissues or presses against nerves. Pain may also result as a complication of cancer treatment. Doctors who treat cancer pain usually start with nonopioid medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen. When these aren't effective, or unwanted side effects occur, opioids may be used for moderate to severe cancer pain.
Opiate addiction (psychological dependence) in people with cancer pain is rare. Adequate management of cancer pain with opioids doesn't usually lead to "drug seeking" behavior and addiction. The benefits of treating cancer pain with opioids usually far exceed the negative effects and potential for addiction. The advantages of using opioids to treat cancer pain include the option to use a number of different drugs with varying strengths, to use multiple routes of administration and to adjust the dose to match the pain.
Next questionPICC line: How is it used for chemotherapy?
- Bajwa ZH, et al. Pharmacologic therapy of cancer pain. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 21, 2009.
- Broglio K, et al. Pain management at the end of life. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 21, 2009.
