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Comparison of oral oxycodone versus sublingual buprenorphine for pain control after pelvic exenteration

A pilot, registry-embedded, multi-centre, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised controlled trial of oral oxycodone versus sublingual buprenorphine for postoperative pain control after pelvic exenteration

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Phase 4
Study type
Interventional
Source
ANZCTR
Registry ID
ACTRN12625000901404
Acronym
PROSPER
Enrollment
30
Registered
2025-08-19
Start date
2026-02-01
Completion date
2026-08-01
Last updated
2025-09-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Pelvic exenteration is a life-changing surgical procedure for patients with advanced or recurrent pelvic cancers. This procedure is associated with significant postoperative morbidity and increased level of pain. To manage this, oxycodone is currently the mainstay opioid used for postoperative pain control. However, this drug is commonly associated with serious side effects, slowing patient recovery, and increasing the length of hospital stay. A new pain management strategy, using sublingual buprenorphine, may improve outcomes and contribute to better patient recovery. However, the comparative effectiveness of this drug has not been evaluated in a clinical trial. Therefore, we will conduct the first pilot randomised controlled trial, to determine the feasibility and acceptability of administering sublingual buprenorphine when compared to oral oxycodone following pelvic exenteration surgery.

Interventions

Arm 1: Oxycodone 5-10 mg oral tablet + Placebo [lactose tablet] sublingual every 3 hours as needed Arm 2: Buprenorphine 200-400 mcg sublingual tablet + Placebo [lactose tablet] oral every 3 hours as needed Duration: Initiated as soon as possible postoperatively and continued for up to 7 days after the first dose Mode: Oral and sublingual tablets Administration: Administered by registered nurses. Dose within range selected based on pain scores and clinical judgement. Adherence to intervention

Arm 1: Oxycodone 5-10 mg oral tablet + Placebo [lactose tablet] sublingual every 3 hours as needed Arm 2: Buprenorphine 200-400 mcg sublingual tablet + Placebo [lactose tablet] oral every 3 hours as needed Duration: Initiated as soon as possible postoperatively and continued for up to 7 days after the first dose Mode: Oral and sublingual tablets Administration: Administered by registered nurses. Dose within range selected based on pain scores and clinical judgement. Adherence to intervention is monitored via electronic medical records.

Sponsors

University of Sydney
Lead SponsorUniversity

Study design

Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

-Pelvic exenteration surgery for advanced primary or recurrent pelvic (e.g., rectal, bladder, prostate, uterine, and other) malignancies -Age 18 years or more

Exclusion criteria

-The treating clinician does not consider both drugs to be a suitable option for the patient or does not consider the trial to be in the best interests of the patient based on precautions with study drugs or previous adverse events attributed to study drugs -Use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) within 14 days of planned surgery. These include: phenelzine, tranylcypromine, moclobemide, selegiline, rasagiline, linezolid. -The treating team intends to use epidural analgesia perioperatively or if epidural analgesia is used prior to randomisation -Unable to provide informed consent

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ANZCTR · Data processed: Jun 24, 2026