Anaesthesia in Oncology

Cancer is a leading cause of death globally, but more so in low- and middle-income countries. The three main modalities of cancer therapy, i.e. surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, have different effects on the human body. Patients with cancer often require anaesthesia to aid treatment at some point during their course in the hospital. Thorough knowledge of the effects of treatment modalities is essential for evidence-based preoperative optimisation and providing safe and high quality of care in the perioperative period. In addition to perioperative management, the anaesthetist also plays a very important role in management of both acute and chronic pain. Recently, certain anaesthetic techniques and drugs have been questioned because of the possibility of association with cancer recurrence; however, lack of robust evidence makes this an area for future research.