Update for nurse anesthetists. Anesthetic implications for cancer chemotherapy

Cancer is one of the most prevalent disease processes affecting people of all ages. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the United States, exceeded only by heart disease. Cancer survival is dependent on treatment options that may include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy, or systemic cancer therapy, is designed to promote cell death during different phases of cell growth and division. Unfortunately, chemotherapeutic agents cannot differentiate between malignant and normal cells. Therefore, the toxic effects of chemotherapy are also seen in healthy organs and tissues. In addition, chemotherapeutic agents can interact with other medications. The effects of chemotherapy may be acute and self-limiting or chronic and present long after treatment has been completed. Patients who have had chemotherapy often undergo surgery that may or may not be related to their cancer. Chemotherapy administration can have a profound influence on anesthetic management. Safe administration of anesthesia includes knowledge of chemotherapeutic agents and their toxic effects. This course discusses the anatomic and physiologic effects of cancer chemotherapeutic agents and how they specifically affect patients receiving anesthesia.