Equitable Access to Buprenorphine for Cancer Pain in Veterans
Official title: Equitable Implementation of Buprenorphine for Chronic Cancer Pain
Funded at VA Boston Health Care System · NIH-11349358 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A VA study will explore how to fairly bring buprenorphine, a safer pain medication, to Veterans with cancer who are not currently getting it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Boston Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2026 |
| Project end | September 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1IK2RD000389-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11349358 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans with cancer who experience chronic cancer pain and may benefit from buprenorphine.
✕Less likely to help
Veterans whose pain management needs do not align with buprenorphine or have contraindications.
What this research studies
This project addresses chronic cancer pain in Veterans and tests strategies to overcome barriers to using buprenorphine for pain management. It focuses on real-world adoption within the VA system, aiming to understand what helps or hinders equitable access. The work will involve collaborations with clinicians, patients, and care teams to identify practical steps that align with existing guidelines and patient needs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could increase appropriate buprenorphine use for cancer-related pain in Veterans, improving comfort and quality of life.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows that implementing buprenorphine can be challenging but has potential benefits when barriers are addressed.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Boston Health Care System
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jones, Katie Fitzgerald — VA Boston Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Jones, Katie Fitzgerald
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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-
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Truncated TrkB and Oral Cancer Pain in Head and Neck Cancer
This project looks at a specific brain receptor told to influence pain in people with oral cancer to find new ways to reduce pain without heavy opioids.
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Understanding how mouth cancer proteases drive pain in patients
This NIH grant looks at how enzymes in oral cancer tumors may cause pain, aiming to connect specific proteases with how patients feel pain.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.