Anaesthetic gas given to patients undergoing cancer surgery may be causing the disease to return prompting a Melbourne-led study to investigate the dangers.
About 5700 patients having lung or colorectal cancer surgery will take part in the five-year international study into using inhaled anaesthesia gas, in comparison to intravenous anaesthesia.
"It is imperative that this is explored in patient population as there is mounting evidence that surgical therapy and anaesthesia may adversely impact cancer outcomes," chief investigator Professor Bernhard Riedel said in a statement on Sunday.
The study will bring together anaesthetists, surgeons, oncologists and research scientists from across the globe and it could lead a change surgical strategies globally.
Previous studies have found mice given intravenous anaesthesia had better cancer survival rates than those treated with anaesthetic gases.
"As surgery, and as such anaesthesia, continues to be a major part of cancer treatment, research into this field is vital. We anticipate that this study will have a dramatic effect on individual well-being, population health and health care costs," Prof Riedel added.
Surgery is the most common treatment for cancer with up to 80 per cent of patients with the disease exposed to anaesthetic during treatment, the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists states.
More than 300,000 cancer operations are done in Australia each year and it is expected to increase over the next decade.
Millions of Australians receive one, or both, of the anaesthetic drugs for all types of surgery each year, the college also noted.
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