To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of patient controlled analgesia (PCA) with hydromorphone in treating cancer pain.

Pubmed, Web of science, Cochrane library, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang database, and VIP database were electronically searched from inception to July 2022 to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on hydromorphone patient-controlled analgesia in the treatment of cancer pain. Two researchers independently screened literatures, extracted data, evaluated the risk of bias of included studies, and cross-checked, and then used RevMan 5.4 software to conduct Meta-analysis.

A total of 8 studies with 736 patients were included. Meta-analysis results showed that there was no significant difference in the analgesic efficacy of hydromorphone patient-controlled analgesia compared with classical drugs (P>0.05), but it could improve the quality of life of patients and reduce the incidence of nausea, vomiting and constipation, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).

The current evidence shows that hydromorphone controlled analgesia has no obvious disadvantage compared with classical drug analgesia, but it can improve the quality of life of patients, reduce the incidence of nausea, vomiting and constipation, and become a new choice of cancer pain treatment.

Hydromorphone; Controlled analgesia; Cancer pain; Curative effect; Security; Meta analysis