Does Omission of NSAIDs After Colorectal Cancer Operation Affect the Consumption of Opioids?

June 22, 2020 updated by: Stine Turino, Zealand University Hospital

Effects on Omission of NSAIDs on the Consumption of Opioids in the Standard Analgesic Regimen After Elective Laparoscopic Colorectal Cancer Resection in an ERAS Setting. A Retrospective Single-center Cohort Study.

Patients undergoing an operation for colorectal cancer are normally treated with non-steroid-anti-inflammatory-drugs (NSAIDs) e.g. ibuprofen as pain medication after the operation. It is well known that NSAIDs can be harmful to kidney-and heart patients and some studies also have shown an increased risc of surgical complications after treatment with NSAIDs. On the other hand recent studies have found a preventive effect of NSAIDs on colorectal cancer recurrence thus leaving the colorectal surgeon in doubt whether NSAIDs are beneficial or harmful to colorectal cancer patients.

In the department of colorectal cancer surgery at Zealand University Hospital it was decided to leave out NSAIDs from the 1st of april 2016. This study will investigate if there is a change in consumption of opioids before and after omission of NSAIDs. This will be an important finding because opioids also have harmful side-effects as well as a risk of addiction. The investigators will also compare the blood samples and see if there is signs of impaired renal and cardiac function in the group that was treated with NSAIDs. Finally the long term outcomes will be investigated such as cancer recurrence and death in the two groups.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background:

Many standard analgesic regimens after colorectal cancer surgery includes a NSAID in combination with paracetamol and other non-opioid analgesics. Concerns about a risk of cardiovascular and renal impairment and the possible association with anastomotic leaks have questioned the rationale of NSAID use in the postoperative period and the need for possible alternatives. In the department of colorectal cancer -surgery of Zealand University Hospital it was decided to remove NSAIDs from the standard analgesic package from 1th of April 2016 without other analgesic substitution. This change might imply deterioration of the enhanced recovery program with an increase in the use of opioids and side effects that might cause a longer length of stay. In addition, recent studies are relaunching ibuprofen as a chemo-preventive of colorectal cancer thus leaving the colorectal surgeon in doubt whether NSAIDs are beneficial or harmful to colorectal cancer patients.

Objective:

The aim of the present study is to investigate the short- and long-term outcomes before (+ ibuprofen) and after (- ibuprofen) April 1 st 2016.

Methods Design A prospective, consecutive single-center cohort-study. Study population Patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection at Zealand University Hospital, before and after 1st. of April 2016 are eligible for the study. Patients with a preoperative use of opioids within the last 3 months, undergoing a palliative resection or had a surgical complication leading to reoperation in general anesthesia will be excluded. Palliative resection is defined as patients with symptomatic metastatic colorectal cancer that undergoes resection of the primary tumor with the aim to relieve symptoms such as obstruction, bleeding or perforation.

Before April 1st. 2016 all patients, regardless of cardiovascular morbidity or kidney disease, received ibuprofen 400 mg in combination with paracetamol 1000 mg four times a day in the postoperative period and until admission. After April 1st the patients only received paracetamol. If the standard analgesic regimen was insufficient, patients in both groups were treated with intravenous, subcutaneous or oral opioids defined as drugs within the ACT-code (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System) N02A. The department has a well-implemented Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program with a standardized management of the perioperative course and discharge with no other changes in the program in the study period.

Demographic and perioperative data including length of stay and postoperative complications within 30 days will be collected from the national prospective database of the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group. According to the exclusion criteria all patients with a registered surgical complication clavien dindo ≥3b will be excluded. The postoperative medical complications are categorized in the database in: Stroke, acute myocardial infarction, aspiration, pneumonia, heart failure, lung embolism, respiratory insufficiency, kidney failure, sepsis, deep venous thrombosis, arterial embolism and "other medical complication". The medical complications are also graded according to the clavien-dindo classification system. Daily postoperative opioid consumption until discharge, readmissions within 30 days, colorectal cancer recurrence or all-cause mortality are retrospectively collected from the electronic patient journal system (EPIC/OPUS).

Blood samples of creatinine and C-Reactive Protein are collected with one baseline preoperative sample (within 30 days before the operation) and postoperative day 1 to 7. Most patients will be discharged 2 to 3 days after the operation. Creatinine will be analyzed as a delta value of the baseline and the postoperative maximum serum creatinine value. In the analysis of CRP the investigators will compare the postoperative in-hospital peak-value.

Troponine I is a biomarker of MINS (myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery) that was measured in the study period on postoperative day 1 to 4 or until discharge. Troponine I values will be categorized in < 15, 15-45 and >45.

Study outcome The primary outcome measure is changes in opioid use between the two groups (+/- NSAID), calculated as oral morphine equivalent (omeq) doses in mg. The secondary outcome measures are length of stay, postoperative medical complications within 30 days, changes in postoperative troponine I and creatinine, colorectal cancer recurrence and all-cause mortality.

A subgroup analysis of the primary outcome with patients who underwent a laparoscopic resection (including robotic assisted surgery) as well as a subgroup analysis excluding all patients with a surgical complication will be done.

Power calculation The sample size calculation was based on non-parametric testing regarding the primary outcome. The minimally clinically relevant difference in opioid consumption between the two groups was estimated to 25 % with a standarddeviation of 37.5 oral morphine equivalent (omeq). To detect a difference with a power of 80 % and an error alpha of 0.05 the total sample size was estimated to 502 patients - 251 patients in each group.

Statistical analyses Data will be analyzed using non-parametric tests. For dichotomous data Chi-square/Fishers exact test will be used and quantitative data will be analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

502

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Zealand
      • Køge, Zealand, Denmark, DK-4600
        • Zealand University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients undergoing elective laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection at Zealand University Hospital, Denmark before and after 1st. of April 2016 are eligible for the study. Patients with a preoperative use of opioids within the last 3 months, undergoing a palliative resection or had a surgical complication leading to reoperation in general anesthesia will be excluded. Palliative resection is defined as patients with symptomatic metastatic colorectal cancer that undergoes resection of the primary tumor with the aim to relieve symptoms such as obstruction, bleeding or perforation.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • adults undergoing elective colorectal cancer resection before and after April 1st 2016 at Zealand University Hospital, Denmark.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • palliative resection
  • preoperative use of opioids within the last 3 months
  • patients with a surgical complication requiring re-operation in general anesthesia.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Prospective

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
+NSAIDs
Patients undergoing elective colorectal cancer resection before april 1st 2016 were treated with paracetamol tablets 1000 mg and ibuprofen tablets 400 mg four times a day from the day of the operation and until discharge.
no other intervention than described in the groups.
-NSAIDs
Patients undergoing elective colorectal cancer resection from april 1st 2016 were only treated with paracetamol tablets 1000 mg four times a day from the day of the operation and until discharge.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative opioid-consumption
Time Frame: from the day of operation and until discharge (median 3 days)
potential changes in the total p.n. use of opioids measured in oral morphine equivalent doses in mg (omeq)
from the day of operation and until discharge (median 3 days)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Postoperative renal impact
Time Frame: from the day of operation and 7 days postoperatively or until discharge.
Potential differences in postoperative peak serum - creatinine compared to preoperative serum-creatinine (< 30 days preoperative)
from the day of operation and 7 days postoperatively or until discharge.
Postoperative cardiac impact
Time Frame: was measured on day 1 to 4 after surgery or intil discharge.
Potential differences in serum Troponine I as a sign of MINS (myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery).
was measured on day 1 to 4 after surgery or intil discharge.
Colorectal cancer recurrence
Time Frame: 120 days after surgery and until data collection.
A recurrence of colorectal cancer 120 days after primary surgery registered in the Danish national patient register
120 days after surgery and until data collection.
mortality
Time Frame: From the day of operation and 3 to 5 years after (at the time of data collection).
all-cause mortality
From the day of operation and 3 to 5 years after (at the time of data collection).

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Ismail Gögenur, Med.Sc.D, Professor

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 1, 2015

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2017

Study Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2017

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 17, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 22, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2020

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 22, 2020

Last Verified

June 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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