Appendix 1. MEDLINE search strategy

The subject search used a combination of controlled vocabulary and free text terms based on the following search strategy for searching MEDLINE.

#1 MORPHINE*:ME
#2 MORPHINE
#3 DELAYED‐ACTION‐PREPARATIONS:ME
#4 TABLETS‐ENTERIC‐COATED:ME
#5 ((#1 or #2) and (#3 or #4))
#6 (MORPHINE NEAR "SUSTAINED RELEASE")
#7 (MORPHINE NEAR SUSTAINED‐RELEASE)
#8 (MORPHINE NEAR "CONTROLLED RELEASE")
#9 (MORPHINE NEAR CONTROLLED‐RELEASE)
#10 (MORPHINE NEAR "IMMEDIATE RELEASE")
#11 (MORPHINE NEAR IMMEDIATE‐RELEASE)
#12 (MORPHINE NEAR "MODIFIED RELEASE")
#13 (MORPHINE NEAR MODIFIED‐RELEASE)
#14 (MORPHINE NEAR "EXTENDED RELEASE")
#15 (MORPHINE NEAR EXTENDED‐RELEASE)
#16 (MORPHINE and ((((((MST or SRM) or IRM) or MSS) or MSC) or MOS) or MHIR))
#17 (MORPHINE and CONTIN)
#18 (MORPHINE near (ORAL next SOLUTION))
#19 KADIAN
#20 KAPANOL
#21 (((((((((((((((((#1 or #2) or #5) or #6) or #7) or #8) or #9) or #10) or #11) or #12) or #13) or #14) or #15) or #16) or #17) or #18) or #19) or #20)
#22 ADMINISTRATION‐ORAL:ME
#23 (ORAL‐ADMINISTRATION or (ORAL next ADMINISTRATION))
#24 (ORAL next ROUTE)
#25 (ORAL near MORPHINE)
#26 ORAL‐MORPHINE
#27 ((((#22 or #23) or #24) or #25) or #26)
#28 (#21 and #27)
#29 NEOPLASMS*:ME
#30 CANCER*
#31 NEOPLASM*
#32 ((#29 or #30) or #31)
#33 PAIN*:ME
#34 PAIN‐MEASUREMENT:ME
#35 PAIN‐THRESHOLD:ME
#36 PAIN*
#37 (((#33 or #34) or #35) or #36)
#38 ((#28 and #32) and #37)

Appendix 2. EMBASE search strategy

#1 morphine/

#2 exp delayed release formulation/

#3 enteric coated tablet/

#4 2 or 3

#5 2 AND 4

#6 (MST or SRM or IRM or MSS).mp. [mp=title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer, device trade name, keyword]

#7 (MSC or MOS or MHIR).mp. [mp=title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer, device trade name, keyword]

#8 (MORPHINE and CONTIN).mp. [mp=title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer, device trade name, keyword]

#9 (KADIAN or KAPENOL).mp. [mp=title, abstract, subject headings, heading word, drug trade name, original title, device manufacturer, drug manufacturer, device trade name, keyword]

#10 5 or 6 or 7 or 8 or 9

#11 exp oral drug administration/

#12 10 AND 11

#13 CANCER.mp. or neoplasm/

#14 pain/

#15 pain assessment/

#16 14 OR 15

#17 12 AND 13 AND 16

Appendix 3. CENTRAL search strategy

#1 "morphine":ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched)

#2 Neoplasms

#3 Pain OR pain assessment

#4 #1 AND #2 AND #3