Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 1, 2026

Administration of Volatile Anesthetics to Zebrafish Larvae for Behavioral Observation
Published on: June 6, 2025
Relationship between Volatile Anesthetics and Tumor Progression: Unveiling the Mystery
Bo Jiao1, Chun Yang1, Nian-Nian Huang1
1Department of Anesthesiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Abstract:
A series of factors can be involved in the perioperative period to cause an increase in cancer-related mortality. Unfortunately, volatile anesthesia might aggravate the deleterious effects. In this article, we review the association of diverse volatile anesthetic agents with immune system and cancer cell biology, and examine the effects on angeogenesis and postoperative metastasis or recurrence. Isoflurane, haloflurane and enflurane enhance immunosuppression and upregulate hypoxia-inducible-factor 1 and matrix metalloproteinases, leading to the cancer malignant progression, whereas roles of desflurane and sevoflurane are still unclear. As the effects of volatile anesthetics on tumor immunity have been known, it will be beneficial for using selective drugs into anesthesia and operation in cancer patients.
Related Concept Videos
Tumor Progression
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Local Anesthetics: Chemistry and Structure-Activity Relationship
Volatilization
Relationship Formation
Ending Relationships
Relationship Growth

