'They say you can get addicted': Exploring factors that fuel the fear of addiction to prescription opioids among cancer survivors

Objectives To explore misconceptions regarding addiction potential of prescription opioids among cancer survivors. Methods A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of cancer survivors (N = 25) treated with prescription opioids for pain management. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and coded using Atlas.ti version 8. Inductive applied thematic analysis techniques were employed to identify emergent themes. Results The majority of participants were breast cancer survivors (88%) who underwent a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation (72%). Thematic analysis revealed that (1) cancer survivors view opioids as an illicit drug, (2) media narrative of the opioid epidemic increased negative perception of opioid use for cancer-related pain, (3) perceptions of opioids were also informed by experiences of friends and family with an opioid use disorder, (4) poor understanding of terminology resulted in misconceptions of opioid use and addiction and (5) fear of opioid addiction resulted in unrelieved cancer pain and poor quality of life. Conclusion Our findings support previously identified concerns among cancer patients about fear of addiction to opioids, a barrier to effective pain management. It highlights the importance for health care providers caring for cancer survivors to continue to address misconceptions about prescribed opioids.