Abstract
Little information has appeared in the literature with reference to the relationship between inhalation anesthesia and metastatic development.
The current study has been designed to investigate the effect of anesthesia on the development of metastases. Rats having a simulated renal tumor were anesthetized with various anesthetics for 2 hours, and the renal tumor was removed by nephrectomy. Simulated renal tumors were produced following the method devised by Gullino. i. e., small fragments of Walker tumor were implanted into a subcutaneously transplanted renal parenchyma which then was enclosed in a parafilm sac.11 days after tumor inoculation, subcutaneously developed renal tumors were removed under each anesthetic.
Results disclosed that only 10 per cent of rats operated on under nembutal anesthesia had pulumonary metastases, whereas lung metastases were noted in 44 per cent of rats operated on under chloroform. When rats were anesthetized with ether or penthrane the production of pulmonary metastases was 40 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. The rate of lung metastases of the rats anesthetized with fluothane was 0 per cent.
The general conclusion that may be derived from these studies is that inhalation anesthesia with chloroform or ether enhances the development of pulmonary metastases.
