Learning Track: 3. Regional Anaesthesia
Title: Effect of anaesthetic techniques on proliferation MDA-MB-231 tumor cells in vitro in breast
cancer surgery
Author(s): Morís L., Cassinello F., López Pérez V.
Institute(s): Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Dept of Anaesthesiology, Madrid, Spain
Text: Background and Goal of Study: Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in the world.
The perioperative period implies alterations in the immune system that confers a favorable
environment for progression of oncologic disease. The goal of study is to compare the effect of serum
obtained from patients with breast cancer who received two different types of anesthesia on
proliferation in cancer cell line MDA-MB-231-ER-negative. To evaluate the consumption of opioid
analgesics in each group.
Materials and Methods: Longitudinal and prospective study in patients diagnosed with infiltrating
ductal carcinoma of the breast, treated with tumorectomy or simple mastectomy, with or without
sentinel node or axillary lymphadenectomy. 20 were randomized,10 patients in each group. The
group of patients receiving general anesthesia and maintenance with sevoflurane along with preincision
morphine bolus (SGA) and the group receiving general anesthesia and maintenance with iv
propofol in continuous infusion together with lateral and anterior cutaneous branches of the
intercostal nerve block prior to incision (PBI). Blood samples were collected prior to induction, one
hour after the end of the procedure and at 18-24 hours postoperatively. The influence on cell
proliferation were performed with the breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 ER negative.Cell
proliferation was detected by fluorescence emission at 4 hours.
Results and Discussion: There is a clear trend,non-significant,towards greater tumor proliferation in
vitro in patients anesthetized with the SGA protocol (sample 1h: p = 0.49, sample 24h: p = 0.31).
[Prolif]
In the PBI group, patients did not require postoperative fentanyl with a significant difference (p =
0.033).
Conclusion: There is a trend towards lower in vitro proliferation of breast tumor cells from the MDAMB-
231 ER-negative tumor cell line exposed to the serum of PBI protocol patients compared to the
SGA protocol.
References:
Deegan CA, Murray D et al. Effect of anaesthetic technique on oestrogen receptor-negative breast
cancer cell function in vitro. Br J Anaesth. 2009;103(5):685-90.
Ethical Research
Declaration: 5. Any study involving randomization
Preferred Presentation
Type: Clinical or experimental study
Conference: Euroanaesthesia

Effect of anaesthetic techniques on proliferation MDA-MB-231 tumor cells in vitro in breast cancer surgery