Nalbuphine suppresses breast cancer stem-like properties and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the AKT-NFκB signaling pathway

Background Cancer painis a debilitating disorder of human breast cancerand a primary determinant of the poor quality of life, and relieving pain is fundamental strategy in the cancertreatment. However, opioid analgesics, like morphine and fentanyl, which are widely used in cancer paintreatment have been reported to enhance stem-like traits and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) of breast cancercells. As such, it is vital to make the best choice of analgesicfor breast cancermanagement.