Review article

Regional anaesthesia in cancer surgery: an update

GORDANA BROZOVIĆ ; 1_Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Centre, Ilica 197, 10000 Zagreb; 2_School of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
LJILJA ŠTEFANČIĆ ; School of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
TATJANA GORANOVIĆ ; 1_Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Centre, Ilica 197, 10000 Zagreb; 2_School of Medicine Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, Osijek, Croatia
DANKO VELIMIR VRDOLJAK ; Department of Surgical Oncology, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Anaesthetic techniques can influence the cellular immune system and
affect long term outcome. Cancer surgery itself and general anaesthetics, especially opioids, suppress immunity and therefore promote metastases. Regional anaesthesia attenuates the immunosuppressive effect of surgery. Local anaesthetics, contrary to opioids, stimulate the activity of natural killer (NK) cells during the perioperative period. All techniques of regional anaesthesia
are very useful and applicable in cancer surgery, either for the anaesthesia itself or for the treatment of postoperative pain. The relationship between regional anaesthesia and cancer recurrence is one of the most interesting topics in anaesthesia today, but we must wait the results of prospective trials before definitive conclusions.

Keywords

cancer; surgery; regional anaesthesia

Hrčak ID:

140979

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/140979

Publication date:

10.6.2015.

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