Anaesthetic technique and lung cancer outcomes

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Association between anaesthetic and analgesic techniques and cancer outcomes following surgical resection of lung cancer

  • IRAS ID

    194712

  • Contact name

    Ben Shelley

  • Contact email

    b.shelley@clinmed.gla.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    NWTC Board / Golden Jubilee Foundation

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 10 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    Background
    Each year over 5000 patients undergo lung cancer surgery in the UK. Recent trends and current guidelines suggest this figure is set to increase. It is increasingly being understood that the anaesthetic and analgesic (pain relieving) techniques used at the time of all forms of cancer surgery can influence the immune system and have a long lasting effect in terms of cancer outcome. In some types of surgery (e.g. breast cancer surgery) certain techniques / drugs has been associated with increased risk of recurrence, metastasis and mortality; though this topic has been the subject of little study in patients undergoing lung cancer surgery.

    Aim
    In this study we aim to use data already collected in two large databases to examine the effects of anaesthetic and analgesic techniques on cancer outcome.

    Expected outcome
    Demonstration of a link between anaesthetic and analgesic techniques used at the time of surgery and cancer outcome by this study would require validation in a prospective randomised controlled trail. Clear evidence of a link would mean that clinicians would need to carefully consider a change in practice, avoiding drugs and techniques associated with poor outcomes; a change which ultimately should lead to an improvement in patient survival.

  • REC name

    East of England - Cambridge South Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/EE/0056

  • Date of REC Opinion

    9 Feb 2016

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion