Impact of Analgesia on Cancer Recurrence and Mortality Within Five Years After Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Resection

The choice of analgesia after cancer surgery may play a role in the onset of recurrence, particularly opioids seem to play a role in the immune system by promoting cancer cell proliferation and migration. Based on this consideration, our aim was to assess the impact of perioperative analgesia's choice on cancer recurrence after curative surgery for Stage I Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. The investigators retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who underwent lung resection for Stage I NSCLC between January 2005 and December 2012. Patients received analgesia either by peridural (PERI group) or, in case of patient refusal or failure in catheter positioning, intravenous analgesia with opioids (EV group). Follow-up was concluded in August 2019. The five-year cumulative incidence of recurrence and the overall survival were evaluated and adjusted with a propensity score matching methodology.