Opioid Exposure

The trial is designed to test whether IOC2-guided titration can reduce opioid exposure while maintaining adequate pain control. Lower-opioid analgesia may help avoid immunosuppressive effects in patients whose immune function is compromised by cancer and chemotherapy. The protocol cites evidence that opioid-free anaesthesia improved postoperative quality of life compared with standard anaesthesia, while noting that this trial does not test opioid-free anaesthesia. High-dose or long-term opioid use is associated with immunosuppressive effects involving natural killer cells and interleukin-1 beta production. Excessive opioid administration may worsen postoperative pain, complications, recovery quality, or immune function.