The pain relief is one of the most important tasks in the work of a doctor of any specialty. The patient’s pain is associated with physical suffering and negative emotional experiences. Intense acute, especially chronic, pain causes a complex of maladaptive reactions in the body. First of all, this applies to patients with malignant neoplasms, especially with cancer stage III and IV. Today, opium alkaloids and their synthetic analogues remain the most effective painkillers for intense acute and chronic pain in cancer patients. For chronic pain, strong opioids are prescribed for the second (at low doses) and third steps of pain relief. This stepwise approach is recommended by the World Health Organization. Tapentadol has become a new molecule in the opioid group. The drug was created as an alternative to tramadol, taking into account its pros and cons, which have emerged over many years of use in clinical practice. In 2008, tapentadol received FDA approval for clinical use and entered the US market. In 2010, tapentadol was approved for use in Europe. In 2014, the drug was registered in Russia under the commercial name Palexia. The article provides a literature review of the analgesic potential of tapentadol in cancer patients, a comparative assessment of the effectiveness and risks of its use with other opioid analgesics.

Keywords: opioids, tapentadol, analgesia, pain