Plas M, et al. - Researchers examined plasma samples of 224 patients (65 years and older) undergoing a surgical procedure for a solid malignant tumor to investigate how a range of pre- and peroperative factors are associated with the extent of the inflammatory response. Further, they sought for patients at risk of a greater inflammatory response following surgery. Surgical characteristics rather than preoperative factors (with the exception of disease stage) had better determinative value for the perioperative inflammatory response. They observed the most intense inflammatory response in elderly oncological patients undergoing longer lasting, intracavitary surgical procedures for more advanced disease stages.