The influence of anaesthetic technique on cancer growth

Abstract

Background

Oncology patients represent a large proportion of all surgical patients. Through its influence on inflammation and patient’s immune system, the choice of anaesthetic technique has an indirect effect on the health of the individual patient and on public health. Both specific and non-specific immune systems have a great influence on recurrence of carcinoma. The pathophysiological basis for the growth and metastasis after surgery is the physiological response to stress. Inflammation is the universal response of the organism to stress. Anaesthetic agents and adjuvants affect perioperative inflammation in various ways and indirectly affect tumour growth and metastasis. In vitro studies have shown how individual agents used for anaesthesia affect cancer growth and spread, but clinical studies have not confirmed the findings. The findings of in vivo research are often very controversial. Nevertheless, it is recommended to use an anaesthetic agent that has shown a more favourable effect on cancer cells growth in vitro.

Conclusions

In this review, we focus on the area of ​​the impact of anaesthesia on tumour growth and provide conclusions on which anaesthetic agents and techniques are most recommended for surgery in cancer patients based on research findings. The field is still relatively unexplored, there are few clinical randomized prospective studies, and their results are controversial.