Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cancer places a significant burden on patients and healthcare systems. Dexmedetomidine, an α(2) adrenergic agonist commonly used in anaesthesia, has potential effects on cancer biology. We systematically reviewed and analysed the impact of intraoperative dexmedetomidine on postoperative survival and tumour recurrence in patients with cancer. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure up to April 2024. Two researchers extracted data including authors, year, country, study design, follow-up, patient characteristics, and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Quality assessment was conducted using the Cochrane tool for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for retrospective studies. RESULTS: The review identified 12 studies: six RCTs and six retrospective studies. In the RCTs, intraoperative dexmedetomidine showed no significant effect on overall survival (odds ratio [OR] 0.87, 95% CI 0.67-1.13, P=0.29) but improved recurrence-free survival (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.47-0.91, P=0.01). Retrospective studies indicated that dexmedetomidine was associated with decreased overall survival (post-matching HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.15-2.00, P=0.003), and had no significant effect on recurrence-free survival (post-matching HR 1.29, 95% CI 0.96-1.72, P=0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Meta-analysis reveals inconsistent evidence regarding impact of intraoperative dexmedetomidine on cancer outcomes after surgery. RCTs suggest improved recurrence-free survival, whereas retrospective studies suggest potential reductions in overall survival. The limited and contradictory data highlight the necessity for more high-quality RCTs to clarify the effects of dexmedetomidine on survival and prognosis in this population.