The Effect of Opioid Use on Esophageal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: There is limited research available on the direct effect of opioid use on esophageal cancer. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to consolidate the results of previous studies and provide an estimate of the pooled relative risk or odds ratio associated with opioid use in relation to the occurrence of esophageal cancer.

Methods: The PRISMA guidelines were utilized to establish a framework for conducting this systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic search was conducted in international and national databases. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and national electronic databases were searched up to February, 2024. The random-effects model was used to report the results at a 95% confidence interval (CI). Stata 11 was used for data analysis.

Findings: Out of the 648 retrieved articles, 11 studies remained in the final analysis (one cohort study and ten case-control studies). In all subgroups analyzed based on the type of odds ratios, no significant heterogeneity was observed. The pooled adjusted odds ratio of opium on esophageal cancer was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.24-2.61), and the pooled crude odds ratio of opium on esophageal was 1.82 (95% CI: 1.55-2.14).

Conclusion: The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis showed that there is a significant relationship between opium use and esophageal cancer, and opium can be a serious risk factor for esophageal cancer.