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Anaesthesia for Cancer Surgery

Dr Leon Dryden and Dr Thomas Barnes

21st January 2019

Surgical resection remains central to the management of many cancers. Nonetheless, even the most vigilant surgical technique may leave residual malignancy and promote tumour cell shedding into the blood and lymphatics. The propensity of these residual cells to thrive is determined by a complex interplay between the intrinsic ability of the cells to proliferate and invade, the microenvironment serving those cells and the patient’s ability to mount an anti-cancer response. While the intrinsic make-up of residual cells is not modifiable, there is growing interest in the ability of anaesthetic drugs to directly affect the cancer.