Immunomodulatory Effects of General Anesthesia in Patients with Breast Cancer - An Observational Study

The total leukocyte count showed a nonsignificant increase with a P = 0.148. Lymphocyte count significantly decreased from 30.59 ± 9.19 to 25.69 ± 8.74 ( P = 0.003). Neutrophil count increased significantly from 61.22 ± 8.97 to 66.15 ± 9.79 ( P = 0.014). Monocyte, eosinophil, and basophil counts did not show any significant difference. TNF-α levels increased significantly from 49.54 ± 16.04 to 54.95 ± 19.03 ( P = 0.037). IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ did not show any statistically significant difference. To conclude, GA in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery induces measurable immunomodulatory effects, characterized by a significant decrease in lymphocyte and an increase in neutrophil counts with stable total leukocyte counts. The significant increase in TNF-α with nonsignificant changes in other inflammatory markers, such as IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-γ, was also noted. These findings suggest that anesthesia may influence the immune response in this vulnerable patient population, and perioperative immune perturbations could modulate short-term metastatic risk, though long-term studies are needed to confirm clinical relevance.