Effects of propofol, benzodiazepines, and opioids on survival in cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study based on MIMIC-III

Sedative and analgesic drugs are commonly used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. Analyzing the impact of these drugs on the prognosis of cancer patients can help improve patient outcomes. This study aimed to analyze the use of propofol, benzodiazepines, and opioids on the survival of cancer patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) based on the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III (MIMIC-III) database. A total of 2,567 cancer patients from the MIMIC-III database between 2001 and 2012 were included in this retrospective cohort study. Logistic regression analyses were utilized to assess the relationship between propofol, benzodiazepine, and opioid and survival in cancer patients. The follow-up was 1 year from the patient’s first admission to the ICU. Outcomes were ICU mortality, 28-day mortality, and 1-year mortality. Stratified analyses were based on patients’ metastatic status. The use of propofol [odds ratio (OR) = 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.53–0.80] and opioids (OR = 0.65; 95%CI, 0.54–0.79) were associated with a decreased risk of 1-year mortality. Both benzodiazepines and opioids use were related to an increased risk of ICU mortality and 28-day mortality (all P < 0.05), whereas propofol use was associated with a decreased risk of 28-day mortality (OR = 0.59; 95%CI, 0.45–0.78). Compared with the use of benzodiazepines combined with opioids, patients who used propofol and opioids were related to a decreased risk of 1-year mortality (OR = 0.74; 95%CI, 0.55–0.98). Similar results were found in patients with metastasis and metastasis-free. Cancer patients who used propofol may experience a lower risk of mortality than benzodiazepine use.