Finding better ways to manage chronic pain in cancer survivors
Official title: Better options for chronic cancer pain: a SMART study
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11054164 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking for ways to help cancer survivors who are using opioids for long-term pain relief manage their pain better, by trying out different treatment methods to see if they can reduce opioid use without making pain worse.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2025 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 1I01CX002902-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11054164 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are cancer survivors who are currently on long-term opioid therapy for chronic pain.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not on long-term opioid therapy or those without chronic pain related to cancer may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how to help cancer survivors who are on long-term opioid therapy manage their chronic pain more effectively. It focuses on two approaches: multimodal pain care and buprenorphine rotation, which have shown promise in veterans with musculoskeletal pain but have not been tested in cancer survivors. The study aims to determine which of these strategies, or a combination of them, can reduce opioid use without increasing pain levels over a period of 6 to 9 months. By identifying the best treatment options, the research seeks to improve pain management for cancer survivors and reduce their reliance on opioids.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide safer and more effective pain management options for cancer survivors, reducing their dependence on opioids.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown success with multimodal pain management strategies in veterans, indicating potential for similar outcomes in cancer survivors.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Silveira, Maria J — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Silveira, Maria J
Related research
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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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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.