Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the oncological surgical population: beneficial or harmful? A systematic review of the literature

The literature is not conclusive on whether the use of NSAIDs is associated with anastomotic leaks after gastrointestinal cancer surgery. Also, the current evidence is equivocal regarding the effects of short-term NSAIDs on cancer recurrence after major cancer surgery. Three RCTs are being conducted to assess the impact of NSAIDs on cancer recurrence. There are no registered RCTs that are testing the hypothesis of whether the perioperative use of NSAIDs increases the rate of anastomotic leaks.