Abstract
Purpose of Review: The influence of opioids on outcomes after cancer surgery when used, or avoided, intraoperatively remains unclear. There is a need to conduct a scoping review to explore the wider context and provide direction for future research. The review will examine the current state of evidence in humans, with a focus on immunological biomarkers and clinically relevant cancer outcomes in trials comparing opioid-free to opioid-based general anaesthesia. Recent Findings: There is limited research on this subject area, which is mainly focused on breast cancer. The most frequently evaluated immunological parameter is the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. Cancer outcomes are mainly focused on recurrence. Summary: The central knowledge gap is understanding how the cellular effects of opioids translate into longer-term patient outcomes. The major challenge for future research is accounting for the immunomodulatory effects of a wide range of confounding factors, which have yet to be clarified.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1327-1336 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Current Oncology Reports |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| Early online date | 28 May 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2022 |
Keywords
- Opioid-free anaesthesia
- Cancer
- Immune response
- Surgery
Access to Document
- Smith_etal_COR_Immunological_Insights_Into_VoR
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