Can anaesthetic and analgesic techniques affect cancer recurrence or metastasis?

Does regional anaesthesia and analgesia or opioid analgesia influence recurrence after primary cancer surgery? An update of available evidence

Cancer continues to be a key cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and its overall incidence continues to increase. Anaesthetists are increasingly faced with the challenge of managing cancer patients, for surgical resection to debulk or excise the primary tumour, or for surgical emergencies in patients on chemotherapy or for the analgesic management of disease- or treatment-related chronic pain. Metastatic recurrence is a concern. Surgery and a number of perioperative factors are suspected to accelerate tumour growth and potentially increase the risk of metastatic recurrence. Retrospective analyses have suggested an association between anaesthetic technique and cancer outcomes, and anaesthetists have sought to ameliorate the consequences of surgical trauma and minimise the impact of anaesthetic interventions. Just how anaesthesia and analgesia impact cancer recurrence and consequent survival is very topical, as understanding the potential mechanisms and interactions has an impact on the anaesthetist's ability to contribute to the successful outcome of oncological interventions. The outcome of ongoing, prospective, randomized trials are awaited with interest.

Pain management for the cancer patient - current practice and future developments

Anaesthesiologists will be asked to provide pain management for cancer patients in the absence of more specialised services, when interventional techniques are indicated and in the postoperative period. In all these settings, the complexity of cancer pain and its psychosocial connotations need to be considered to provide appropriate and holistic care. Principles of systemic pain management, effective in most patients, continue to follow established guidelines; identification of neuropathic pain and its appropriate treatment is important here. Interventional pain relief is required in a minority of cancer patients, but it should be considered when appropriate and then done with best available expertise. Neurolytic procedures have lost importance here over the years. Postoperative pain management should be multimodal with consideration of regional techniques when applicable. In managing postoperative pain in cancer patients, opioid tolerance needs to be addressed to avoid withdrawal and poor analgesia. Preventive techniques aiming to reduce chronic postoperative pain should be considered.