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NCT Number: NCT06030804

Perioperative Dexmedetomidine and Long-term Survival After Cancer Surgery

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Elderly Cancer Surgery Dexmedetomidine Long-term Survivors

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

The First Affiliated Hospital of China University of Science and Technology, Hefei, Anhui, China

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About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

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

Exclusion criteria

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

Treatment and study plan

Dexmedetomidine

Drug

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/hr 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.

Other names: Dexmedetomidine hydrochloride

Placebo

Drug

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.

Other names: Normal saline

Primary outcomes

  1. Progression-free survival after surgery

    Time frame: Up to 3 years after surgery of the last enrolled patient.

    Time interval from index surgery to cancer recurrence/metastasis/progression or all-cause death, whichever comes first.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Incidence of postoperative delirium.

    Time frame: During the first 4 postoperative days.

    Delirium will be assessed with the 3D-Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM) or CAM for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU) twice daily during the first 4 postoperative days.

  2. Incidence of cognitive dysfunction at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively.

    Time frame: At 6 months and 1 year postoperatively.

    Cognitive function will be assessed with the Telephone Montreal Cognitive Assessment (T-MoCA; scores range from 0 to 22, with higher score indicating better function) before surgery and at 6 months and 12 months after surgery. A T-MoCA score reduction of 1 standard deviation (SD) or more from baseline will be considered occurrence of cognitive dysfunction.

Other outcomes

  1. Rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admission after surgery.

    Time frame: Up to 30 days after surgery.

    Percentage of patients who required ICU admission within 30 days after surgery.

  2. Intensity of pain after surgery.

    Time frame: Two hours after surgery and during the first 4 postoperative days.

    Intensity of pain will be assessed with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS; an 11-point scale where 0=no pain and 10=the worst pain) twice daily during the first 4 postoperative days.

  3. Subjective sleep quality after surgery.

    Time frame: During the first 4 postoperative days.

    Subjective sleep quality will be assessed with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS; an 11-point scale where 0=the best sleep and 10=the worst sleep) once daily during the first 4 postoperative days.

  4. Length of stay in hospital after surgery.

    Time frame: Up to 30 days after surgery.

    Length of stay in hospital after surgery.

  5. Incidence of postoperative complications within 30 days.

    Time frame: Up to 30 days after surgery.

    Postoperative complications are defined as new-onset medical events other than delirium that are deemed harmful and require therapeutic intervention, that is grade II or higher on the Clavien-Dindo classification.

  6. Overall survival after surgery

    Time frame: Up to 3 years after surgery of the last enrolled patient.

    Time interval from index surgery to all-cause death.

  7. Cancer-specific survival after surgery

    Time frame: Up to 3 years after surgery of the last enrolled patient.

    Time interval from index surgery to cancer-specific death, with deaths from other causes being censored at the time of death. Cancer-specific death is defined as death fully attributable to the cancer for which the index surgery is performed and usually involves cancer recurrence/metastasis/progression after exclusion of other causes such as stroke and myocardial infarction.

  8. Event-free survival after surgery

    Time frame: Up to 3 years after surgery of the last enrolled patient.

    Time interval from index surgery to cancer recurrence/metastasis/progression, new-onset cancer, new-onset serious illness (requiring hospitalization), or all-cause death, whichever comes first.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Dong-Xin Wang, MD,PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

8610 83572784

Jia-Hui Ma, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

8610 83575138

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Peking University First Hospital

Other

Collaborators

  • Peking University

Registry information

Official study title

Impact of Perioperative Dexmedetomidine on Long-term Survival in Older Patients After Cancer Surgery: a Multicenter Randomized Trial

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2028
First posted
Sep 11, 2023
Registry last updated
Jul 31, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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