Investigating racial/ethnic disparities in opioid use among patients undergoing gastrointestinal cancer surgery.

INTRODUCTION

We sought to investigate racial/ethnic disparities in opioid prescribing patterns among patients undergoing gastrointestinal (GI) cancer surgery.

METHODS

Patients who underwent surgery for GI cancer (2016-2023) were identified using the EPIC Cosmos database. Multivariate analyses were conducted to assess differences in opioid prescription patterns postoperatively.

RESULTS

168,220 individuals underwent GI cancer surgery (esophagus: 2.5 %; stomach: 4.1 %, pancreas: 9.7 %; hepatobiliary: 6.4 %; colorectal: 77.3 %); 52.9 % were male, 86.0 % were White with median age of 72 years (IQR: 62-80). Black patients were younger (68 years [IQR: 60-76] vs. 72 years [IQR: 63-81]) and had a lower Charlson Comorbidity Index score (>2) (66.2 % vs. 68.5 %) compared with White patients (both p < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, Black patients had similar odds of receiving opioids as White patients (OR: 1.01, 95 % CI: 0.95-1.08).

CONCLUSION

No race-based differences were noted in the use of opioid prescriptions, duration of prescriptions, or mode of opioid administration following GI surgery.