Join us to explore a surprising link: Ketamine and lung cancer outcomes. Intraoperative Ketamine, used during surgery for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), is linked to a lower rate of cancer recurrence. This is unexpected for an anesthetic.

But here’s the paradox: a study found that weeks after surgery, the Ketamine group had more circulating rare events (CRE) – tumor-associated cells/fragments in the blood.

How can more of these potentially concerning events mean better long-term results (less recurrence)?

Researchers hypothesize Ketamine might disrupt the tumor environment, increasing shedding. The intriguing idea is that this temporary increase could make shed cancer cells/fragments more visible or vulnerable to the body’s immune system or treatments.

This challenges the simple view that more circulating biomarkers are not always bad. It suggests Ketamine could unexpectedly modulate tumor biology. We discuss this early research, which includes contributions from a cancer survivor and aspiring physician-scientist.

Tune in to unpack this fascinating possibility!

The papers used in this episode:

Shah, A., Shishido, S., Mason, J., Fischer, G. W., Amar, D., Desiderio, D., et al. (2025). Circulating rare events as a biomarker of anti-tumoral effect of ketamine therapy in non-small cell lung cancer [abstract]. In Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 1978 https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.AM2025-1978

Bai, L., Courcoubetis, G., Mason, J., Hicks, J. B., Nieva, J., Kuhn, P., & Shishido, S. N. (2024). Longitudinal tracking of circulating rare events in the liquid biopsy of stage III-IV non-small cell lung cancer patients. Discover Oncology, 15(1), 142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12672-024-00984-4

Article about the Lead Author, Anya Shah:

Levin, R. B. (2024, July 11). Cancer survivor and aspiring physician-scientist pioneers lung cancer liquid biopsy. USC Dornsife Magazine. https://dornsife.usc.edu/magazine/the-detectives-apprentice/