Oral Cavity SCC — Persistent Opioid Use Associated With Preoperative Use

Background: Opioids are commonly prescribed for cancer and cancer-related pain; however, persistent opioid use after head and neck cancer surgery is a growing concern. Objective: To understand the incidence of, and risk factors for, persistent opioid use after head and neck cancer surgery for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Design: Retrospective cohort study. Participants/Methods: Patients at a single institution who underwent primary tumor resection for oral cavity SCC from 2016 to 2022 were examined. Patients were put into categories for preoperative opioid use using prescription monitoring data. Persistent opioid use was defined as filling 2 consecutive opioid prescriptions between 120 and 365 days postoperatively. Results: 430 patients were identified, and 18.8% met the criteria for persistent opioid use. Risk factors included chronic preoperative use, gastrostomy tube persistence at 12 months, chronic pain diagnosis, and cancer recurrence. Persistent use was more comm more...