Postoperative Serum Cytokine Changes After Radical Resection of Colorectal Cancer

Every surgical intervention represents a stress for patient's organism. During the operation, numerous changes in the patient's metabolism take place, that are termed surgical stress response. Leading cause of surgical stress response is tissue destruction that always accompanies operations. Surgical stress response is effected through activation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and through sympathetic activation.

The consequences of surgical stress response are numerous. Surgical stress response is essential to uneventful postoperative recovery. On the other hand, excessive surgical stress response may lead to serious postoperative complications, such as heart and kidney failure, venous thrombosis, disruption of operative wound and wound infection.

In prior studies the investigators have shown the kinetics of postoperative serum interleukin changes after radical resection of gastric cancer.

This study aims at determining reliable markers of surgical stress response severity in patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer.