Comparing Patient-Controlled Analgesia Versus Non-PCA Hydromorphone Titration for Severe Cancer Pain: A Randomized Phase III Trial.

Background: Opioid titration is necessary to achieve rapid, safe pain relief. Medication can be administered via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) or by a healthcare provider (non-PCA). We evaluated the efficacy of intravenous PCA versus non-PCA hydromorphone titration for severe cancer pain (≥7 at rest on the 11-point numeric rating scale [NRS]).