• Sean B O'Donnell, Martha K Nicholson, and Jason W Boland.
• Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2019 May 1; 57 (5): 999-1008.e11.

ContextPatients with cancer often experience distressing symptoms such as anxiety or dyspnea, which can be managed with benzodiazepines; however, concerns regarding the impact of these drugs on survival may dissuade prescribing and compliance.ObjectivesWe aimed to identify and appraise studies examining benzodiazepine use and survival in adults with cancer, to investigate the relationship and context of use.MethodsSystematic review of the international literature prepared according to preferred reporting items for systematic reviews. Comprehensive searches of the MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and AMED databases using medical subject heading and free-text search combinations with no date or language restrictions were undertook. Handsearching of references was conducted. Risk of bias of the included studies was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria.ResultsTwo thousand two hundred fifty-seven unique records were identified, with 18 meeting inclusion criteria, representing 4117 patients. All studies were very low quality. No study found an increase in mortality in association with benzodiazepine use, whereas two demonstrated an increase.ConclusionExisting evidence shows no association between benzodiazepine use in patients with cancer and decreased survival. None of the studies evaluated the association between benzodiazepine use and survival in earlier stages of cancer, and the quality of studies retrieved signifies a need for further robust studies to draw more definitive conclusions. Further investigation in patients with cancer using well-designed, high-quality research with survival as a primary outcome should be conducted.Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

11 keywords...

hide…