Does Omission of NSAIDs After Colorectal Cancer Operation Affect the Consumption of Opioids?

Patients undergoing an operation for colorectal cancer are normally treated with non-steroid-anti-inflammatory-drugs (NSAIDs) e.g. ibuprofen as pain medication after the operation. It is well known that NSAIDs can be harmful to kidney-and heart patients and some studies also have shown an increased risc of surgical complications after treatment with NSAIDs. On the other hand recent studies have found a preventive effect of NSAIDs on colorectal cancer recurrence thus leaving the colorectal surgeon in doubt whether NSAIDs are beneficial or harmful to colorectal cancer patients.
In the department of colorectal cancer surgery at Zealand University Hospital it was decided to leave out NSAIDs from the 1st of april 2016. This study will investigate if there is a change in consumption of opioids before and after omission of NSAIDs. This will be an important finding because opioids also have harmful side-effects as well as a risk of addiction. The investigators will also compare the blood samples and see if there is signs of impaired renal and cardiac function in the group that was treated with NSAIDs. Finally the long term outcomes will be investigated such as cancer recurrence and death in the two groups.