Anaesthesia Related Implications and Complications in Cancer Patients

Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgical interventions are three main modalities of treatment in cancer patients. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy and tumours’ local and systemic effects on functional reserve of all major organs necessitate comprehensive preoperative assessment and optimisation of these patients by the anaesthesiologists in collaboration with oncologists and surgical team. Risks and complications like airway compromise, pulmonary fibrosis; pericarditis, cardiomyopathy, dangerous arrhythmias; hepatic dysfunction with coagulopathy; myelosuppression with pancytopenia; hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis suppression; hypercalcaemia; hyponatraemia; hypothyroidism; and tumour lysis syndrome are known. Knowledge about these complications and interaction of chemotherapy agents with selected anaesthetic drugs, careful preoperative assessment and optimisation, vigilant intraoperative monitoring, anticipation of potential complications and prompt management is essential for safer and better outcome in cancer patients with reduced perioperative morbidity and mortality.