Patients undergoing surgery for UGC are subjected to a substantial trauma reaction termed the surgical stress response (SSR). SSR is characterized by activation of the sympathetic nervous system, the endocrine system, as well as by immunological and hematological responses leading to hypotension, systemic and local inflammation. In addition, surgical stress can cause immunosuppression in response to the complex interaction of various hormones, cytokines and acute phase reactants. Furthermore, it has recently been reported that perioperative immunosuppression increases the incidence of cancer recurrence, growth of metastases and reduces survival.