The study aimed to explore whether cancer-related pain and opioids use are associated with the survival of cancer patients, and perform a cohort study and a meta-analysis to quantify the magnitude of any association. A retrospective cohort study was performed to analyze the impact of pain level, and opioids use on cancer-specific survival (CSS) in advanced cancer patients. Patients and relevant medical records were selected from the registry of the Radiation and chemotherapy division of Ningbo First Hospital between June 2013 and October 2017. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) for CSS by opioids use were calculated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The systematic review included relevant studies published before October 2018. The combined HRs and 95% CIs for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated using random-effect models. A total of consecutive 203 cancer patients were included in the cohort study. Kaplan–Meier curves indicate a negative association between CSS and cancer-related pain or opioids requirement, but less evidence of an association with the dose of opioids use. Multivariate models revealed that the pain level and opioids requirement were associated with shorter CSS, after adjusting for significant covariates. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that postoperative opioids use had a poor effect on PFS, and opioids use for cancer-related pain was associated with poor OS in cancer patients, while intraoperative opioids use was not associated with cancer survival. We concluded that cancer-related pain and opioids requirements are associated with poor survival in advanced cancer patients, and postoperative opioids use and opioids use for cancer-related pain may have an adverse effect on the survival of cancer patients.

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Background: When performing hysteroscopic surgery under general anesthesia in non-intubated patients, anesthesiologists and gynecologists face challenges including patient movement and respiratory depression due to variability in the depth of patient anesthesia. Intraoperative modulation of the depth of anesthesia is dictated by clinical practice. In recent years, the noninvasive surgical pleth index (SPI) has been purported to objectively reflect the depth of anesthesia. In the present study, we investigated the performance of SPI monitoring in hysteroscopic surgery.Methods: Eighty patients scheduled for hysteroscopic surgery under general anesthesia with a laryngeal mask airway (i.e., spontaneous ventilation without a muscle relaxant) were randomly divided into two groups (both n = 40): (1) bispectral index (BIS)- and SPI-monitoring group (BS Group); and (2) BIS-monitoring group (B group). Intraoperative analgesia was provided via target-controlled infusion (TCI) of remifentanil, which was modulated according to the SPI value (target interval, 20–50) in the BS Group or via the anesthesiologist's assessment in the B Group. In both groups, anesthesia was administered to maintain the BIS values between 40–60. Additionally, the incidences and degree of movement, consumption of anesthetic drugs, recovery times, complications, and satisfactory levels were compared between the two groups.Results: The incidence and degree of bodily movement in the BS Group were significantly lower than those in the B Group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the remifentanil induction dose and recovery time in the BS group were significantly lower than those in the B group (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to adverse events including nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Finally, gynecologists had higher satisfactory levels in the BS Group (P < 0.05).Conclusion: SPI- and BIS-guided general anesthesia is clinically feasible in hysteroscopic surgery and leads to both inhibition of intraoperative movement and faster recovery.