Clinical trial NCT05494502: Impact of Erector Spinae Plane Block on Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Breast Cancer Patients
Official title: Impact of Erector Spinae Plane Block With Adjuvant Dexmedetomidine on Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Breast Cancer Patients: a Two-center Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Breast Neoplasms
Mastectomy
Nerve Block
Dexmedetomidine
Pain, Postoperative
Chronic Pain
Prognosis
Keywords: Breast cancer
Mastectomy
Erector spinae plane block
Dexmedetomidine
Postoperative pain
Chronic postsurgical pain
Long-term prognosis
Lead sponsor: Peking University First Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute
First posted: 2022-08-10
Enrollment: 1206
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 85
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) has an incidence of 46% in patients after breast cancer surgery, which seriously affects patients' physiological and psychological function, as well as quality of life. Acute pain is an independent risk factor for persistent pain after surgery. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) provided excellent perioperative analgesia in patients undergoing breast surgery. Dexmedetomidine as an adjuvant of local anesthetics prolongs the duration of peripheral nerve block and decreases the requirements of postoperative analgesia. The investigators hypothesize that, for breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy, ESPB (with a combination of 0.5% ropivacaine 35 ml and dexmedetomidine 1 microgram/kg) can reduce the occurrence of CPSP. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate the impact of ESPB with adjuvant dexmedetomidine on the incidence of CPSP in breast cancer patients after mastectomy. We will also observe the impact of ESPB on long-term survival in these patients.

Detailed description: Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP), defined as pain persisting or recurring for longer than three months after surgery, has an incidence of 46% in patients after breast cancer surgery. It seriously affects patients' physiological and psychological function, as well as quality of life. Acute pain is an independent risk factor for persistent pain after surgery.

As a core technique in multimodal analgesia, peripheral nerve block plays an important role in controlling acute postoperative pain in breast cancer patients; it may also prevent the occurrence of CPSP. In our previous trial, use of paravertebral block reduced CPSP at six months after breast cancer surgery; the effect was more prominent in the subgroup of patients following mastectomy. But conclusions can not be achieved until now. Regional anesthesia is also supposed to produce favorable effects on long-term oncological outcomes, possibly by relieving surgery-related stress response and immunosuppression. But, again, available evidences are conflicting regarding regional block and long-term cancer outcomes.

The erector spinae plane block (ESPB) was first described by Forero in 2016 and provides excellent perioperative analgesia with minimal side effect in patients undergoing thoracic, breast, and spinal surgeries. As one of the interfacial plane block techniques, the ESPB targets dorsal and ventral rami of the spinal nerves from T2-T7; it may produce effect by diffusing into the paravertebral and intercostal spaces and spreading in both cephalic and caudal directions.

Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective α2-adrenoceptor agonist with sedative, analgesic and anti-anxiety properties. When used as an adjuvant to local anesthetics, dexmedetomidine prolongs the duration nerve block and decreased the requirement of postoperative analgesia.

The investigators hypothesize that, for breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy, ESPB (with 0.5% ropivacaine 35 ml combined with dexmedetomidine 1 microgram/kg) can reduce the occurrence of CPSP. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate the impact of ESPB with adjuvant dexmedetomidine on the incidence of CPSP in breast cancer patients after mastectomy. We will also observe the effect of ESPB on long-term prognosis in this patient population.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age of 18 years or over, but less than 85 years;
2. Scheduled to undergo mastectomy for primary unilateral breast cancer.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Previous breast cancer surgery with an incision of \>2 cm;
2. Chronic opioid dependence or long-term intake of analgesic medicines (\>3 months);
3. Any contraindication to erector spinae plane block, including intrathoracic infection, infection at the puncture site, cancer invasion of the puncture site, severe spinal deformity, history of spinal surgery, and severe coagulopathy;
4. Inability to communicate in the preoperative period because of profound dementia, deafness, language barriers, or end-stage disease;
5. History of malignant tumor in other organs, or a current combination of malignant tumor of other organs;
6. History of coronary heart disease (diagnosed coronary stenosis, previous myocardial infarction, previous percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting); preoperative hepatic or renal impairment (alanine transaminase and/or aspartate transaminase ≥2 times of upper limit of normal, or serum creatinine\>133 µmol/L); history of peptic ulcer or hemorrhage; ASA classification IV or above;
7. Allergy to ropivacaine.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Incidence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) at 6 months after surgery
timeFrame: At 6 months after surgery
measure: Progression-free survival (long-term outcomes)
timeFrame: Up to 3 years after surgery
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Incidence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) at 3 and 12 months after surgery
timeFrame: At 3 and 12 months after surgery
measure: Incidence of neuropathic pain at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery
timeFrame: At 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery
measure: Overall survival (long-term outcome)
timeFrame: Up to 3 years after surgery
measure: Event-free survival (long-term outcome)
timeFrame: Up to 3 years after surgery
measure: Quality of life (long-term outcome)
timeFrame: At 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years after surgery
Other outcomes:
measure: Pain intensity within the first 3 postoperative days
timeFrame: At 1 hour, 6 hours, 1 day, 2 days, and 3 days after surgery.
measure: Subjective sleep quality within the first 3 postoperative days
timeFrame: At 1 hour, 6 hours, 1 day, 2 days, and 3 days after surgery.
measure: Patient-reported quality of recovery
timeFrame: At day 1 after surgery
measure: Length of stay in hospital after surgery
timeFrame: Up to 30 days after surgery
measure: Incidence of postoperative complications within 30 days
timeFrame: Up to 30 days after surgery
measure: Incidence of anxiety at 30 days after surgery
timeFrame: At 30 days after surgery
measure: Incidence of depression at 30 days after surgery
timeFrame: At 30 days after surgery
Locations:
city: Beijing
country: China
facility: Peking University First Hospital
state: Beijing
city: Beijing
country: China
facility: Beijing Cancer Hospital
state: Beijing
Study officials:
affiliation: Peking University First Hospital
name: Dong-Xin Wang, M.D., Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Schug SA, Lavand'homme P, Barke A, Korwisi B, Rief W, Treede RD; IASP Taskforce for the Classification of Chronic Pain. The IASP classification of chronic pain for ICD-11: chronic postsurgical or posttraumatic pain. Pain. 2019 Jan;160(1):45-52. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001413.
citation: Wang L, Cohen JC, Devasenapathy N, Hong BY, Kheyson S, Lu D, Oparin Y, Kennedy SA, Romerosa B, Arora N, Kwon HY, Jackson K, Prasad M, Jayasekera D, Li A, Guarna G, Natalwalla S, Couban RJ, Reid S, Khan JS, McGillion M, Busse JW. Prevalence and intensity of persistent post-surgical pain following breast cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Br J Anaesth. 2020 Sep;125(3):346-357. doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2020.04.088. Epub 2020 Jun 28.
citation: Saporito A, Aguirre J, Borgeat A, Perren A, Anselmi L, Poggi R, Minotti B, Cafarotti S, La Regina D, Ceruti S. Persistent postdischarge pain and chronic postoperative pain after breast cancer surgery under general anesthesia and single-shot paravertebral block: incidence, characteristics and impact on quality of life and healthcare costs. J Pain Res. 2019 Apr 16;12:1193-1199. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S195702. eCollection 2019.
citation: Kojic K, Clarke H. Important considerations with respect to reducing the transition from acute to persistent postoperative pain. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2021 May;22(7):779-782. doi: 10.1080/14656566.2021.1892073. Epub 2021 Feb 26. No abstract available.
citation: Rabbitts JA, Palermo TM, Lang EA. A Conceptual Model of Biopsychosocial Mechanisms of Transition from Acute to Chronic Postsurgical Pain in Children and Adolescents. J Pain Res. 2020 Nov 24;13:3071-3080. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S239320. eCollection 2020.
citation: Lavand'homme P. The progression from acute to chronic pain. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2011 Oct;24(5):545-50. doi: 10.1097/ACO.0b013e32834a4f74.
citation: Chin KJ, El-Boghdadly K. Mechanisms of action of the erector spinae plane (ESP) block: a narrative review. Can J Anaesth. 2021 Mar;68(3):387-408. doi: 10.1007/s12630-020-01875-2. Epub 2021 Jan 6.
citation: Saadawi M, Layera S, Aliste J, Bravo D, Leurcharusmee P, Tran Q. Erector spinae plane block: A narrative review with systematic analysis of the evidence pertaining to clinical indications and alternative truncal blocks. J Clin Anesth. 2021 Feb;68:110063. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2020.110063. Epub 2020 Oct 5.
citation: Zhang Y, Liu T, Zhou Y, Yu Y, Chen G. Analgesic efficacy and safety of erector spinae plane block in breast cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Anesthesiol. 2021 Feb 20;21(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s12871-021-01277-x.
citation: Li Y, Wang B, Zhang LL, He SF, Hu XW, Wong GT, Zhang Y. Dexmedetomidine Combined with General Anesthesia Provides Similar Intraoperative Stress Response Reduction When Compared with a Combined General and Epidural Anesthetic Technique. Anesth Analg. 2016 Apr;122(4):1202-10. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000001165.
citation: Desai N, Kirkham KR, Albrecht E. Local anaesthetic adjuncts for peripheral regional anaesthesia: a narrative review. Anaesthesia. 2021 Jan;76 Suppl 1:100-109. doi: 10.1111/anae.15245.
citation: Vorobeichik L, Brull R, Abdallah FW. Evidence basis for using perineural dexmedetomidine to enhance the quality of brachial plexus nerve blocks: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Br J Anaesth. 2017 Feb;118(2):167-181. doi: 10.1093/bja/aew411.
citation: Perez-Gonzalez O, Cuellar-Guzman LF, Soliz J, Cata JP. Impact of Regional Anesthesia on Recurrence, Metastasis, and Immune Response in Breast Cancer Surgery: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2017 Nov/Dec;42(6):751-756. doi: 10.1097/AAP.0000000000000662.
citation: Ramirez MF, Cata JP. Anesthesia Techniques and Long-Term Oncological Outcomes. Front Oncol. 2021 Dec 8;11:788918. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.788918. eCollection 2021.
citation: Dockrell L, Buggy DJ. The role of regional anaesthesia in the emerging subspecialty of onco-anaesthesia: a state-of-the-art review. Anaesthesia. 2021 Jan;76 Suppl 1:148-159. doi: 10.1111/anae.15243.
citation: Zhang J, Chang CL, Lu CY, Chen HM, Wu SY. Paravertebral block in regional anesthesia with propofol sedation reduces locoregional recurrence in patients with breast cancer receiving breast conservative surgery compared with volatile inhalational without propofol in general anesthesia. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 Oct;142:111991. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111991. Epub 2021 Aug 27.