Perioperative Dexmedetomidine and Long-term Survival After Cancer Surgery

Peking University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Dexmedetomidine; Long-Term Survivors; Elderly; Cancer Surgery

Treatments: Drug: Dexmedetomidine; Drug: Placebo

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06030804

2023-227

Details and patient eligibility

About

Along with aging population, cancer incidence and mortality are increasing. However, despite advances in oncology and surgery, long-term survival of cancer patients is far from optimal. Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonist with sedative, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects. Studies showed that perioperative use of dexmedetomidine reduces delirium and some non-delirium complications after surgery. In long-term follow-up studies of older patients who, for other reasons, were randomized to receive either dexmedetomidine or placebo during intra- or postoperative period, dexmedetomidine use was associated with improved long-term survival. This multicenter randomized trial aims to investigate the effect of perioperative dexmedetomidine on long-term outcomes in older patients undergoing cancer surgery.

Full description

Along with aging population, cancer incidence and mortality are increasing. Surgical resection remains the mainstay treatment for solid organ cancer. However, despite advances in oncology and surgery, long-term survival of cancer patients is far from optimal. For example, the 5-year survival rate of cancer patients is about 36.9% in China, and the survival rate decreases for about 10% each year in older patients after cancer surgery. How to improve long-term survival after cancer surgery remains an urgent problem to be solved.

Cancer death usually occur after cancer recurrence or metastasis. The development of cancer recurrence or metastasise after surgical resection depends on the balance between the anti-cancer defense function of host and the invasiveness of residual cancer cells. Studies showed that surgery, while resecting cancer mass, also releases cancer cells into the circulation. Surgical stress also impairs cell-mediated immunity and promote cancer growth.

Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective alpha 2 adrenergic receptor agonist with sedative, analgesic, and anxiolytic effects. Studies showed that intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine reduces anesthetic and opioid consumption and relieves surgery-related stress response and inflammation. Studies also showed that perioperative use of dexmedetomidine reduces delirium, a commonly occurred complication in older patients, and some non-delirium complications after surgery.

The effect of perioperative dexmedetomidine on long-term outcomes after cancer surgery remains unclear. In a long-term follow-up of older patients who were randomized to receive either low-dose dexmedetomidine or placebo during intensive care unit stay, dexmedetomidine use was associated with improved survival within 2 years. In a recent long-term follow-up of older patients who were randomized to receive either dexmedetomidine or placebo during surgery, dexmedetomidine use was associated with improved recurrence-free survival.

The investigators hypothesize that perioperative use of dexmedetomidine may improve long-term survival after cancer surgery. This multicenter randomized trial aims to investigate the effect of perioperative dexmedetomidine on long-term outcomes in older patients undergoing cancer surgery.

Enrollment: 4,532 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 60+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Aged 60 years or older.
2. Scheduled to undergo radical surgery for cancer under general anesthesia, with an expected surgical duration of 2 hours or longer.
3. Required patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after surgery.

Exclusion criteria

1. Inability to communicate preoperatively due to visual, auditory, verbal. or other reasons.
2. Surgery for breast cancer or intracranial tumor.
3. Preoperative severe sinus bradycardia (<50 beats per minute), sick sinus syndrome，or second-degree or above atrioventricular block without pacemaker.
4. Severe hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh class C).
5. Severe renal dysfunction (requirement of renal replacement therapy before surgery).
6. Enrolled in other clinical studies.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Quadruple Blind

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4,532 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Dexmedetomidine group

Experimental group

Description:

A loading dose of dexmedetomidine (0.6 μg/kg) will be administered over 10-15 minutes before anaesthesia induction, followed by a continuous infusion at a rate of 0.5 μg/kg/h till 1 hour before the end of surgery. Patient-controlled dexmedetomidine supplemented sufentanil analgesia will be provided after surgery: the formula contains a mixture of sufentanil (1.25 μg/ml) and dexmedetomidine (1.25 μg/ml), diluted with normal saline to a total volume of 160 ml; the analgesic pump is set to administer a background infusion at a rate of 1 ml/h, with patient-controlled bolus of 2 ml each time and a lockout time of 8 minutes.

Treatment:

Drug: Dexmedetomidine

Control group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Volume-matched normal saline will be administered in the same rate and volume for the same duration as in the dexmedetomidine group during anesthesia. Patient-controlled sufentanil analgesia will be provided after surgery: the formula contains sufentanil (1.25 μg/ml), diluted with normal saline to a total volume of 160 ml; the analgesic pump is set to administer a background infusion at a rate of 1 ml/h, with patient-controlled bolus of 2 ml each time and a lockout time of 8 minutes.

Treatment:

Drug: Placebo