Actively Recruiting
Better Options for Chronic Cancer Pain
Led by VA Office of Research and Development · Updated on 2026-05-11
294
Participants Needed
2
Research Sites
220 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
This proposal is relevant to the 240,000 cancer survivors who continue to use opioids long after they have successfully completed treatment for cancer at the VHA, placing them at risk of opioid addiction and overdose, and other opioid-related problems. Yet, there are no programs at the VHA to help them find alternatives to opioids, nor evidence to inform the choice of interventions. This study will meet these needs by examining four interventions that are effective at reducing opioid use in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain but have yet to be tested in cancer survivors on long term opioid therapy. The proposed work is relevant to the VHA Pain Office's mission to provide Veterans better pain management while limiting the risks of long-term opioid therapy and it aligns with VHA Research and Development's priority to examine clinical interventions for tapering opioids. Successful completion this project will keep VHA at the forefront of the battle against the opioid epidemic with a strategy that may be adapted to address the same needs in non-Veterans.
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Better Options for Chronic Cancer Pain
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Veterans must have had a qualifying solid tumor (bladder, breast, colorectal, head and neck, liver, lung, pancreas, prostate, or urinary tract) without evidence of active disease for at least 6 months
- Participants must be at least 6 months away from their last cytotoxic, radiation, or surgical cancer treatments but can be on hormonal or biologic therapies for remission or cancer control
- Participants must report pain of 4 or higher on a 0-10 scale on their last 3 electronic medical record recordings
- Veterans must be on Long Term Opioid Therapy (LTOT) defined as having a qualifying opioid dispensed within the prior 30 days plus at least 150 days' supply of qualifying opioids in the previous 180 days with no gaps over 40 days between fills
- There must be advance agreement from their existing opioid prescriber to resume opioid prescribing after study
You will not qualify if you...
- Veterans with total daily opioid doses of 300 Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) or higher
- Veterans with referrals or visits to a substance abuse clinic within the prior 2 years
- Veterans with current or past use of buprenorphine
- Veterans with active alcohol use disorder or substance use
- Veterans at risk for opioid overdose such as active suicidality or history of self-directed violence
- Veterans with daily use of benzodiazepines
- Veterans who received opioids from non-VA providers in the prior 3 months
- Veterans with aberrant urine drug screen at baseline (cannabis use is allowed)
- Veterans meeting DSM criteria for opioid use disorder are not excluded if their only opioid source is the VA
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
Trial Site Locations
Total: 2 locations
1
Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, 46202-2884
Not Yet Recruiting
2
VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States, 48105
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
M
Maria J Silveira, MD MA MPH
CONTACT
M
Matthew D McCaa, MS OTR
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Number of Arms
6
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