The EAPC guidelines on opioids for cancer pain relief have been widely influential (BMJ 1996;312:823-6 and Br J Cancer 2001;84:587-93). The guidelines are being updated as part of the European Palliative Care Research Collaboration (EPCRC), funded by the 6th Framework Programme of the EU. 17 research groups are involved in the revision of the guidelines and they provide the faculty for this conference. Each group has formulated a clinical recommendation on the basis of a systematic review of evidence for each topic to be included in the guidelines. Eminent authorities from outside Europe will act as discussants.

The recommendations will cover the following key points: opioid analgesic of first choice, dose titration, opioid rotation, hydromorphone, oxycodone, methadone, transdermal fentanyl/transdermal buprenorphine, equianalgesic dose ratios, NSAIDs, step 2 opioids, place of step 2 in cancer pain relief, breakthrough pain, adjuvant analgesics: ketamine, adjuvant analagesics: antidepressants, anticonvulsants, management of GI adverse effects of opioids, management of CNS adverse effects, patients with liver impairment, patients with renal impairment, opioid combinations, alternative routes of administration, spinal opioids.

• Prof Mike Bennett, Lancaster, UK
• Prof Eduardo Bruera, Houston, USA
• Dr Augusto Caraceni, Milan, Italy
• Dr Nathan Cherny, Jerusalem, Israel
• Dr Jim Cleary, Madison, USA
• Prof Ola Dale, Trondheim, Norway
• Dr Franco de Conno, Milan, Italy
• Prof Marie Fallon, Edinburgh, UK
• Dr Kathy Foley, New York, USA
• Prof Karen Forbes, Bristol, UK
• Prof Geoffrey Hanks, Bristol,UK
• Dr Magdi Hanna, London, UK
• Dr Gitte Juhl, Herlev, Denmark
• Prof Stein Kaasa, Trondheim, Norway
• Prof Pål Klepstad, Trondheim, Norway
• Prof Henry McQuay, Oxford, UK
• Dr Sebastiano Mercadante, Palermo, Italy
• Dr Maria Nabal, Lerida, Spain
• Prof Lukas Radbruch, Aachen, Germany
• Dr Colette Reid, Gloucester, UK
• Dr Per Sjogren, Copenhagen, Denmark
• Dr Paddy Stone, London, UK Dr John Zeppetella, Harlow, UK
  

Venue: The Bristol Hotel, Prince Street, Bristol, BS1 4QF
Fees: Doctors £295 Nurses £175
Contact: Debbie Ashby Tel: + 44 117 342 3336 Email: Debbie.Ashby@bristol.ac.uk