Anesthesia and colorectal cancer – The perioperative period as a window of opportunity?

Perioperative Immunosuppressive Factors during Cancer Surgery: An Updated Review

Surgical excision of the primary tumor represents the most frequent and curative procedure for solid malignancies. Compelling evidence suggests that, despite its beneficial effects, surgery may impair immunosurveillance by triggering an immunosuppressive inflammatory stress response and favor recurrence by stimulating minimal residual disease. In addition, many factors interfere with the immune effectors before and after cancer procedures, such as malnutrition, anemia, or subsequent transfusion. Thus, the perioperative period plays a key role in determining oncological outcomes and represents a short phase to circumvent anesthetic and surgical deleterious factors by supporting the immune system through the use of synergistic pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. In line with this, accumulating studies indicate that anesthetic agents could drive both protumor or antitumor signaling pathways during or after cancer surgery. While preclinical investigations focusing on anesthetics' impact on the behavior of cancer cells are quite convincing, limited clinical trials studying the consequences on survival and recurrences remain inconclusive. Herein, we highlight the main factors occurring during the perioperative period of cancer surgery and their potential impact on immunomodulation and cancer progression. We also discuss patient management prior to and during surgery, taking into consideration the latest advances in the literature.

The Effect of Different Anesthetic Techniques on Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Gene Expression in Colon Cancer Cells: A Pilot In Vitro Study

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is highly common and causes high mortality rates. Treatment for colorectal cancer is multidisciplinary, but in most cases the main option remains surgery. Intriguingly, in recent years, a number of studies have shown that a patient's postoperative outcome may be influenced by certain anesthetic drugs. Our main objective was to compare the effect of propofol-total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with sevoflurane anesthesia and to investigate the potential role of intravenous lidocaine on colon cancer cell functions. We tested the effects of serum from colorectal cancer patients undergoing TIVA vs. sevoflurane anesthesia with or without lidocaine on HCT 116 cell lines; on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and cell cycles; and on cancer-related gene expressions.

METHODS

60 patients who were scheduled for colorectal cancer surgery were randomized into four different groups (two groups with TIVA and two groups with sevoflurane anesthesia with or without intravenous lidocaine). Blood samples were collected at the start and at the end of surgery. HCT 116 cells were exposed to the patients' serum.

RESULTS

15 patients were included in each of the study groups. We did not find any significant difference on cell viability or apoptosis between the study groups. However, there was an increased apoptosis in propofol groups, but this result was not statistically significant. A significant increase in the expression profile of the TP53 gene in the propofol group was registered (p = 0.029), while in the other study groups, no significant differences were reported. BCL2 and CASP3 expressions increased in the sevoflurane-lidocaine group without statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, serum from patients receiving different anesthetic techniques did not significantly influence the apoptosis, migration, and cell cycle of HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma cells. Viability was also not significantly influenced by the anesthetic technique, except the sevoflurane-lidocaine group where it was increased. The gene expression of TP53 was significantly increased in the propofol group, which is consistent with the results of similar in vitro studies and may be one of the mechanisms by which anesthetic agents may influence the biology of cancer cells. Further studies that investigate the effects of propofol and lidocaine in different plasma concentrations on different colon cancer cell lines and assess the impacts of these findings on the clinical outcome are much needed.

Association between Intraoperative Blood Transfusion, Regional Anesthesia and Outcome after Pediatric Tumor Surgery for Nephroblastoma

BACKGROUND

Recent data suggest that anesthesiologic interventions-e.g., the choice of the anesthetic regimen or the administration of blood products-might play a major role in determining outcome after tumor surgery. In contrast to adult patients, only limited data are available regarding the potential association of anesthesia and outcome in pediatric cancer patients.

METHODS

A retrospective multicenter study assessing data from pediatric patients (0-18 years of age) undergoing surgery for nephroblastoma between 2004 and 2018 was conducted at three academic centers in Europe. Overall and recurrence-free survival were the primary outcomes of the study and were evaluated for a potential impact of intraoperative administration of erythrocyte concentrates, the use of regional anesthesia and the choice of the anesthetic regimen. The length of stay on the intensive care unit, the time to hospital discharge after surgery and blood neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio were defined as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

In total, data from 65 patients were analyzed. Intraoperative administration of erythrocyte concentrates was associated with a reduction in recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio (HR) 7.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.36-42.2, p = 0.004), whereas overall survival (HR 5.37, 95% CI 0.42-68.4, p = 0.124) was not affected. The use of regional anesthesia and the choice of anesthetic used for maintenance of anesthesia did not demonstrate an effect on the primary outcomes. It was, however, associated with fewer ICU transfers, a shortened time to discharge and a decreased postoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides the first evidence for a possible association between blood transfusion as well as anesthesiologic interventions and outcome after pediatric cancer surgery.

Local Anesthetics and Recurrence after Cancer Surgery-What's New? A Narrative Review

The perioperative use of regional anesthesia and local anesthetics is part of almost every anesthesiologist’s daily clinical practice. Retrospective analyses and results from experimental studies pointed towards a potential beneficial effect of the local anesthetics regarding outcome—i.e., overall and/or recurrence-free survival—in patients undergoing cancer surgery. The perioperative period, where the anesthesiologist is responsible for the patients, might be crucial for the further course of the disease, as circulating tumor cells (shed from the primary tumor into the patient’s bloodstream) might form new micro-metastases independent of complete tumor removal. Due to their strong anti-inflammatory properties, local anesthetics might have a certain impact on these circulating tumor cells, either via direct or indirect measures, for example via blunting the inflammatory stress response as induced by the surgical stimulus. This narrative review highlights the foundation of these principles, features recent experimental and clinical data and provides an outlook regarding current and potential future research activities.

The effect of anesthesia on the magnitude of the postoperative systemic inflammatory response in patients undergoing elective surgery for colorectal cancer in the context of an enhanced recovery pathway: A prospective cohort study

There are reports that the use of regional anesthesia (RA) may be associated with better perioperative surgical stress response in cancer patients compared with general anesthetics (GA). However, the role of anesthesia on the magnitude of the postoperative systemic inflammatory response (SIR) in colorectal cancer patients, within an enhanced recovery pathway (ERP), is not clear.The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of anesthesia, within an enhanced recovery pathway, on the magnitude of the postoperative SIR in patients undergoing elective surgery for colorectal cancer.Database of 507 patients who underwent elective open or laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery between 2015 and 2019 at a single center was studied. The anesthetic technique used was categorized into either GA or GA + RA using a prospective proforma. The relationship between each anesthetic technique and perioperative clinicopathological characteristics was examined using binary logistic regression analysis.The majority of patients were male (54%), younger than 65 years (41%), either normal or overweight (64%), and were nonsmokers (47%). Also, the majority of patients underwent open surgery (60%) and received mainly general + regional anesthetic technique (80%). On univariate analysis, GA + RA was associated with a lower day 4 CRP (≤150/>150 mg/L) concentration. On day 4, postoperative CRP was associated with anesthetic technique [odds ratio (OR) 0.58; confidence interval (CI) 0.31-1.07; P = .086], age (OR 0.70; CI 0.50-0.98; P = .043), sex (OR 1.15; CI 0.95-2.52; P = .074), smoking (OR 1.57; CI 1.13-2.19; P = .006), preoperative mGPS (OR 1.55; CI 1.15-2.10; P = .004), and preoperative dexamethasone (OR 0.70; CI 0.47-1.03; P = .072). On multivariate analysis, day 4 postoperative CRP was independently associated with anesthetic technique (OR 0.56; CI 0.32-0.97; P = .039), age (OR 0.74; CI 0.55-0.99; P = .045), smoking (OR 1.58; CI 1.18-2.12; P = .002), preoperative mGPS (OR 1.41; CI 1.08-1.84; P = .012), and preoperative dexamethasone (OR 0.68; CI 0.50-0.92; P = .014).There was a modest but an independent association between RA and a lower magnitude of the postoperative SIR. Future work is warranted with multicenter RCT to precisely clarify the relationship between anesthesia and the magnitude of the postoperative SIR.

Inhalation or total intravenous anaesthesia and recurrence after colorectal cancer surgery: a propensity score matched Danish registry-based study

BACKGROUND

During colorectal cancer surgery, the immune-modulating effects of inhalation anaesthesia may create a favourable environment for metastasis formation, leading to increased risk of recurrence. Our aim was to assess the association between inhalation vs intravenous anaesthesia and cancer recurrence in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.

METHODS

Patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery in 2004-18 were identified in the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group Database and Danish Anaesthesia Database. After exclusion of patients with residual tumour registered in postoperative pathology reports, local endoscopic resections, and stent insertions, we classified patients according to exposure to inhalation anaesthesia. The primary outcome was recurrence (time to recurrence), whereas secondary outcomes were all-cause mortality (time to death) and disease-free survival (time to either recurrence or death). Events of recurrence and death were identified using The Danish Civil Registration System, Danish National Pathology Registry, and Danish National Patient Registry. The sub-distribution hazards approach was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for recurrence, and Cox regression was used for all-cause mortality and disease-free survival.

RESULTS

We identified 5238 patients exposed to inhalation anaesthesia and 6322 to intravenous anaesthesia. Propensity score matching yielded 4347 individuals in each group with balanced baseline covariates. We found a weak association between recurrence and exposure to inhalation anaesthesia (HR=1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.23). The HR estimates for all-cause mortality and disease-free survival were 1.00 (95% CI, 0.93-1.07) and 1.04 (95% CI, 0.98-1.11) respectively.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to inhalation anaesthesia was associated with increased risk of recurrence after colorectal cancer surgery.

Effects of propofol and sevoflurane on tumor killing activity of peripheral blood natural killer cells in patients with gastric cancer

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells in patients with gastric cancer.

Methods

Patients with gastric cancer were anesthetized by propofol or sevoflurane. Peripheral blood NK cells were isolated and co-cultured with BGC-823 gastric cancer cell culture supernatant, and the rate of apoptosis and effector molecules were analyzed by flow cytometry. Effects of propofol and sevoflurane on NK cell function and SMAD4 protein expression were investigated.

Results

Cytotoxicity of NK cells in patients with gastric cancer was inhibited before surgery, but it was enhanced in patients who were anesthetized by propofol compared with those who had sevoflurane. In vitro co-culture with BGC-823 cells significantly inhibited the cytotoxicity of NK cells, which was abolished by treatment of propofol or transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. SMAD4 protein expression in the NK cell nucleus was significantly downregulated by TGF-β1 treatment and BGC-823 supernatant co-culture, and this expression could be restored by propofol.

Conclusions

Cytotoxicity of NK cells in patients with gastric cancer is low, but it can be promoted by propofol. Propofol regulates cytotoxicity in NK cells by promoting SMAD4, thereby affecting cellular function.

The relationship between anesthetic technique and thirty-day mortality in patients undergoing noncardiac- and nonneurosurgery: A retrospective, propensity score-matched cohort study

BACKGROUND

Currently, 310 million patients undergo surgery every year worldwide, and there is still controversy over which anesthetic technique to choose for a considerable of surgeries.This study evaluates the association of the anesthetic technique with thirty-day mortality after noncardiac- and nonneurosurgery.

METHODS

Electronic medical records of 90,785 patients who underwent non-cardiac- and nonneurosurgery at the *** General Hospital from January 1, 2012 to October 31, 2016, were subject to secondary retrospective analysis. The principal exposure was regional versus general anesthesia. Outcome measures were death, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and blood transfusion requirement within 30 days after surgery. Propensity-score matching was used to assemble a cohort of patients with similar baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

We identified 90,785 patients, of whom 76,442 received regional anesthesia and 14,343 received general anesthesia. A total of 11,351 patients in the general anesthesia group had propensity scores similar to those of patients who received regional anesthesia and were included in the analyses. In the propensity-score matched cohort, the postoperative 30-day mortality rate was 0.75% (n = 85) in the regional anesthesia group (Odds Ratio, 0.567; 95% CI, 0.434 to 0.741; P = 0.00003) compared with 1.31% (n = 149) in the general anesthesia group. Regional anesthesia was also associated with a reduced rate of ICU admission compared with that of patients who received general anesthesia (0.44% vs. 2.68%; OR, 0.161; 95% CI, 0.119 to 0.217, P < 0.00001). There was a nonsignificant relationship between the anesthetic technique and postoperative blood transfusion (P = 0.082).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this observational, propensity score-matched cohort study suggest a significant association between regional anesthesia and low thirty-day mortality and a worse postoperative prognosis in patients who underwent noncardiac- and nonneurosurgery, which provides information for anesthetic technique decision making in the clinical setting.

The effect of anesthesia on the postoperative systemic inflammatory response in patients undergoing surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Surgical injury stimulates the systemic inflammatory response. The magnitude of the postoperative systemic inflammatory response has been shown to be significantly associated with short and long-term outcomes following surgery of varying severity. Different anesthetic techniques for surgery may have an impact on the postoperative systemic inflammatory response and on the rate of the postoperative infective complications.The aim of the present systematic review was to examine the relationship between perioperative anesthesia, the postoperative systemic inflammatory response and postoperative infective complications in patients undergoing surgery.

METHODS

This was carried out using PubMed and other established databases from 1987 up to March 2018. In particular, randomized controlled studies and systemic inflammation markers, interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein were examined.

RESULTS

Overall, 60 controlled, randomized clinical trials were included in the review. The mean or median values of both interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein were taken for each study and the mean value was calculated for each anesthetic group at sampling points of 12-24 and 24-72 hours for interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein respectively. When taking the magnitude of surgery into account, TIVA using propofol was significantly associated with a reduction in particular C-reactive protein (P = .04). However, there were no other specific anesthetic methods including general, regional and combined anesthetics that were associated with a reduction in either interleukin 6 or C-reactive protein.

CONCLUSION

There is some evidence that anesthetic regimens may reduce the magnitude of the postoperative systemic inflammatory response. However, the studies were heterogeneous and generally of low quality.Future, well conducted, adequately powered studies are required to clarify the effect of anesthesia on the postoperative systemic inflammatory response and infective complications.

Dexmedetomidine enhances hypoxia-induced cancer cell progression

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is widely used in perioperative settings for analgesia and sedation; however, little is known about its effects on the hypoxia-induced progression of tumor cells. In the present study, the effects of DEX on hypoxia-induced growth and metastasis of lung cancer cells and colorectal cancer cells was examined. A549 cells and HCT116 cells were treated with normoxia, hypoxia, co-treatment of hypoxia and DEX, and atipamezole (an α₂ adrenoceptor antagonist) for 4 h. The proliferation rate of cells was determined by MTT assays. Cell metastatic potential was evaluated by Transwell assays. Survivin and hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α were detected by western blotting. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 were measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. It was demonstrated that hypoxia treatment promoted the proliferation and may promote the metastasis of the two cancer cell lines. DEX substantially contributed to the survival and aggressiveness of the two cancer cell lines following hypoxia. Furthermore, DEX upregulated the expression of survivin, MMP-2, MMP-9 and HIF-1α in the two cancer cell lines in response to hypoxia. Finally, the effects of DEX on the hypoxia-induced growth and metastatic potential of cancer cells were reversed by atipamezole. Collectively, DEX enhances the hypoxia-induced progression of lung cancer cells and colorectal cancer cells by regulating HIF-1α signaling, which may be associated with the α₂ adrenoceptor pathway.

The Amide Local Anesthetic Lidocaine in Cancer Surgery-Potential Antimetastatic Effects and Preservation of Immune Cell Function? A Narrative Review

Surgical removal of the primary tumor in solid cancer is an essential component of the treatment. However, the perioperative period can paradoxically lead to an increased risk of cancer recurrence. A bimodal dynamics for early-stage breast cancer recurrence suggests a tumor dormancy-based model with a mastectomy-driven acceleration of the metastatic process and a crucial role of the immunosuppressive state during the perioperative period. Recent evidence suggests that anesthesia could also influence the progress of the disease. Local anesthetics (LAs) have long been used for their properties to block nociceptive input. They also exert anti-inflammatory capacities by modulating the liberation or signal propagation of inflammatory mediators. Interestingly, LAs can reduce viability and proliferation of many cancer cells in vitro as well. Additionally, retrospective clinical trials have suggested that regional anesthesia for cancer surgery (either with or without general anesthesia) might reduce the risk of recurrence. Lidocaine, a LA, which can be administered intravenously, is widely used in clinical practice for multimodal analgesia. It is associated with a morphine-sparing effect, reduced pain scores, and in major surgery probably also with a reduced incidence of postoperative ileus and length of hospital stay. Systemic delivery might therefore be efficient to target residual disease or reach cells able to form micrometastasis. Moreover, an in vitro study has shown that lidocaine could enhance the activity of natural killer (NK) cells. Due to their ability to recognize and kill tumor cells without the requirement of prior antigen exposure, NKs are the main actor of the innate immune system. However, several perioperative factors can reduce NK activity, such as stress, pain, opioids, or general anesthetics. Intravenous lidocaine as part of the perioperative anesthesia regimen would be of major interest for clinicians, as it might bear the potential to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence or progression patients undergoing cancer surgery. As a well-known pharmaceutical agent, lidocaine might therefore be a promising candidate for oncological drug repurposing. We urgently need clinical randomized trials assessing the protective effect of lidocaine on NKs function and against recurrence after cancer surgery to achieve a “proof of concept.”

Effect of postoperative analgesia technique on the prognosis of gastric cancer: a retrospective analysis

Background

Whether regional analgesia techniques have favorable impact on prognosis after cancer surgery is unclear, and existing reports show controversial results. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and compare recurrence and mortality between patients that received either intravenous (IV) or epidural patient controlled analgesia (PCA) for pain control after curative surgery for gastric cancer.

Materials and methods

Medical records of patients that underwent curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer between November 2005 and December 2010 were reviewed. Identified patients were categorized according to the use of IV or epidural PCA for postoperative analgesia. Demographic and perioperative variables including type of PCA were analyzed by univariate and multiple regression analysis to investigate any association with recurrence and mortality after surgery. Propensity score matching was done to adjust for selection bias.

Results

Of the 3,799 patients included in this analysis, 374 and 3, 425 patients received IV and epidural PCAs, respectively. No difference in recurrence (HR, 1.092; 95% CI 0.859 to 1.388; P = 0.471) or mortality (HR, 0.695; 95% CI 0.429 to 1.125; P = 0.138) was identified between the use of IV and epidural PCA. Propensity score matching also showed no difference in recurrence (HR, 1.098; 95% CI 0.756 to 1.596; P = 0.623) or mortality (HR, 0.855; 95% CI 0.391 to 1.869; P = 0.695) between the two groups.

Conclusions

Postoperative use of epidural analgesia was not found to be associated with reduced recurrence or mortality after curative surgery in gastric cancer patients. This finding needs to be confirmed with prospective studies in the future.

Perioperative regional anaesthesia and postoperative longer-term outcomes

Regional anaesthesia provides effective anaesthesia and analgesia in the perioperative setting. Central neuraxial blocks-that is, spinal and epidural blocks-are well established as an alternative or adjunct to general anaesthesia. Peripheral blocks may be used as part of multimodal anaesthesia/analgesia in perioperative practice, reducing the need for opioid analgesics and enhancing early recovery. Furthermore, regional anaesthesia has increased in popularity and may be done with improved ease and safety with the introduction of ultrasound-guided techniques. The effects of local anaesthetics and regional anaesthesia on long-term outcomes such as morbidity, mortality, the quality of recovery beyond the duration of analgesia, and whether it can expedite the resumption of activities of daily living are less clear. It has also been suggested that regional anaesthesia may impact the risk of metastasis after cancer surgery. This article provides an overview of current evidence around quality of recovery, risk for delirium, long-term effects, and possible impact on cancer disease progression associated with the clinical use of local and regional anaesthetic techniques. In summary, there is still a lack of robust data that regional anaesthesia has a clinical impact beyond its well-acknowledged beneficial effects of reducing pain, reduced opioid consumption, and improved quality of early recovery. Further high-quality prospective studies on long-term outcomes are warranted.