Preface

Why this Book?

Having experienced cancer in deeply personal ways—a family member who survived, another who succumbed, and the loss of dear friends—I have been closely involved in the journeys of those affected. Although I have been a practicing anesthesiologist for over 32 years, it had not fully occurred to me how integral anesthesia care is throughout the complex and often tumultuous course of a cancer patient’s treatment.

Anesthesia does not cure cancer, but it is required at nearly every stage—from screening and diagnostic procedures to curative and palliative surgeries, as well as pain management. Following these personal experiences, I conducted an extensive literature review and found that while knowledge exists, it is scattered—presented in isolated journal articles, brief topics, or occasional textbook chapters. This realization became my motivation to create a single, comprehensive resource dedicated exclusively to anesthesia care for cancer patients.

Contributors to this Book

To ensure the breadth and depth of expertise, I invited board-certified anesthesiologists representing diverse subspecialties—including general anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, cardiothoracic anesthesia, pain management, and critical care—to contribute. The team also included anesthesia residents, fellows, researchers, and even a few highly motivated medical students whose curiosity enriched the project. This collective expertise has enabled us to create a resource that we hope will serve as a comprehensive guide to anesthesia care for cancer patients. We believe it will be of value to anesthesia providers, residents, fellows in training, and medical students alike.

Contents of this Book

The book begins with an exploration of the role and importance of anesthesia in cancer treatment, followed by a review of the physiological changes caused by malignancy—knowledge essential for anesthetic planning. We summarize the complications of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy, along with their anesthetic considerations. The potential effects of anesthesia on tumor metastasis are also discussed. Special chapters address anesthesia care for patients across different age groups with cancer.

We provide detailed guidance on perioperative management—spanning preoperative evaluation through postoperative care—for a wide range of oncologic surgeries, concluding with comprehensive sections on pain management and critical care in oncology.

Acknowledgements

My sincere thanks to Bentham Science Publishers for giving me the opportunity to write and publish this book. I am deeply grateful for the support of the Bentham Books team, particularly Dr. Obaid Sadiq, Manager, Bentham Books, and Fariya Zulfiqar, Manager, Bentham Books Publications, whose dedication made this work possible. My deepest gratitude goes to my co-editors and contributing authors for their countless hours of commitment to this project. I extend special thanks to Dr. Michael Mahrus and Brian McEniry, Clinical Research Coordinator, for their invaluable technical support.