Wound-Healing in Mice Triggers Growth of Dormant Tumors

“Wound-Healing in Mice Triggers Growth of Dormant Tumors” – an article from TheScientist can be accessed here.

Comments from Dr. Rosenberg on the article:

This is yet another article that suggests that operating on cancer spreads cancer. But this article is not referring to the seeding effect (dislodging cohesive cancer cells via biopsy or surgery, allowing them to disseminate); rather, it refers to an inflammatory or perhaps an immune response (or lack thereof) that allows cancer to spread, in response to surgery.

Unfortunately, at least for the near foreseeable future, we have to operate on cancer. Based on multiple articles, however, there is sufficient data to recommend starting NSAIDS several days prior to cancer surgery, administering ketorolac during surgery, and continuing NSAIDS for at least several days following surgery.

Previous studies have suggested an association between the use of NSAIDs and better outcome after mastectomy and lung surgery for cancer. In a retrospective analysis, investigators found an association between intraoperative NSAIDs use in conservative breast cancer surgery and breast cancer disease-free survival: https://academic.oup.com/bja/article/113/suppl_1/i82/307662. Although surgeons will tell patients to stop all medicines/supplements that can possibly interfere with clotting prior to surgery, there is sufficient data to indicate the opposite recommendation, specifically for NSAIDS.

healthyliving January 23rd, 2019

Posted In: cancer care

Tags: cancer care, dormant tumors, NSAID, NSAIDs, operate, operating, tumors