Effect of Epidural Anesthesia on Cancer Recurrence after Curative Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer

Abstract

Background: Anesthesia techniques significantly impact the long-term and short-term outcomes after cancer surgery such as cancer recurrence, post-discharge hospitalizations, and duration of hospitalization, probably by decreasing the neuroendocrine stress response during surgery, reducing opioid requirement, reducing post-operation nausea vomiting, and pain, and interacting with the immune system. Research in recent years has provided ample evidence that epidural anesthesia produces better post-operation outcomes compared to general anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of epidural anesthesia on cancer recurrence after surgery in gastrointestinal cancer patients. Methods: To perform this study medical records from the archive of gastrointestinal cancer patients who have undergone surgery at Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex (IKHC) from the years 1390 to 1400 were used. The variables required for the study were obtained from the records. The data obtained were analyzed by the SPSS software and the significance value of < 0.05 was considered. Results: Our study included 8987 patients out of which 1673 patients received epidural anesthesia. Cancer recurrence was reported after 90 days and 180 days and for the type of surgery (using or not using epidural anesthesia) B value for 90 days and 180 days was 0.079 and 0.018 respectively. Thus causality was not established for the type of surgery with recurrence of cancer. Conclusion: The findings of our study indicate that the rate of gastrointestinal cancer recurrence after surgery is not influenced by having or not having epidural anesthesia.