The following quality criteria management is considered in radical surgery for cancer, complete eradication of the tumor with negative surgical margins and without macroscopic residual tumor, adequate removal of lymph nodes and minimal manipulation of the tumor. Despite getting all these objectives, residual non-visible tumor or micrometastasis may persist after tumor resection therefore cancer cells can growth and disseminate depending on the aggressiveness of the tumor and host defenses. Three perioperative factors can contribute to cancer advance: a) Surgical manipulation that releases cancer cells to the bloodstream, diminishes cellular immunity, including T helper 1 (TH1) and natural killer (NK) cell activity, decreases anti-angiogenic factors and increases pro-angiogenic factors; b) general anaesthetics, except propofol, diminish cellular immunity; and c) opioids inhibit cellular and humoral immunity and promote cancer cell growth. Regional anaesthesia and analgesia block nociceptive afferents and decrease or eliminate acute postoperative pain. Combined with general anaesthesia would reduce the consumption of volatile anesthetics, potentially immunosuppressive. These actions preserve immunity due to the decrease of neuroendocrine and inflammatory response to stress and the consumption of opioids. Experimental studies support this hypothesis. Clinical studies show contradictory results. Since the year 2000, twenty one cancer studies for many types of cancer (breast, prostate, colon and rectum, lung, liver and melanoma) have been published. Sixteen Key words: Anaesthesia and cancer recurrence. Anaesthesia and metastasis. Analgesia and cancer recurrence. Regional anaesthesia and cancer. RESUMEN Los criterios de calidad en la cirugía oncológica radical se basan en la extirpación completa del tumor, con márgenes libres, sin enfermedad macroscópica residual, en una linfadenectomía adecuada y en la mínima manipulación tumoral posible. A pesar de conseguir estos objetivos, tras la extirpación puede quedar enfermedad residual no visible o micrometástasis,
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