Risks of Persistent Opioid Use After Surgery for Early-Stage Cancer

Recent research highlights a concerning trend among patients undergoing surgery for early-stage cancer: a significant portion continue or initiate opioid prescriptions well into the year following their procedures. The study, published in the journal Cancer, analyzed data from over 9,000 U.S. veterans who had no prior opioid use before their cancer diagnosis. Findings show that approximately 10.6% of these patients developed persistent opioid use within a year after surgery, with about 4.0% being co-prescribed benzodiazepines, drugs that depress the central nervous system and should not be combined with opioids. Higher exposure to opioids during treatment, especially among those with a history of chronic pain, numerous comorbidities, lower socioeconomic status, or those receiving additional therapies like chemotherapy, correlated strongly with sustained opioid consumption.

This pattern raises alarms about long-term health risks, including opioid use disorder and overdose. Effective pain management remains vital during cancer care, but the study underlines the importance of minimizing opioid exposure to prevent unsafe long-term use. Marilyn M. Schapira, MD, MPH, from the University of Pennsylvania, emphasizes that reducing opioid prescriptions while ensuring adequate pain relief can help improve the health outcomes of cancer survivors. As survival rates increase, addressing the potential for long-term opioid dependence becomes even more critical. Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-patients-surgery-early-stage-cancer.html