The Impacts of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy on Patients with Cancer Surgical Wounds: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Cancer is a prevalent medical condition that frequently requires surgical intervention. As a result, the management of surgical wounds in cancer patients becomes a pivotal aspect of nursing care. This meta-analysis explores the effects of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT), a cutting-edge wound management technique, on healing outcomes in cancer-related surgical wounds. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis included randomized clinical trials comparing NPWT with standard wound care in cancer patients. Key outcomes assessed were surgical site infection (SSI), seroma formation, and hospital readmission. Only trials that reported these outcomes in cancer-related surgical wounds were considered eligible. Results: A total of 10 randomized trials involving 1,322 patients with surgical wounds were included in the analysis. Across all cancer types, NPWT did not demonstrate statistically significant advantages compared to conventional wound care in reducing: Surgical site infections: p = 0.11; Seroma formation: p = 0.38; Hospital readmissions: p = 0.68. However, subgroup analysis revealed a notable exception: NPWT significantly reduced the incidence of surgical site infections in colorectal cancer patients (p = 0.0002). Conclusion: The findings suggest that NPWT may offer targeted benefits, particularly for colorectal cancer patients, by lowering the risk of postoperative infections. However, for other cancer types, NPWT did not demonstrate significant improvements in SSI, seroma, or hospital readmission rates compared to standard care. This highlights the need for further research to determine the contexts in which NPWT can be most beneficial in cancer wound management.