Effects of Esketamine on inflammatory mediators, postoperative depression-like mood and intestinal flora in patients undergoing radical operation for lung cancer

This parallel, interventional Phase 4 trial in China (n=80) is recruiting adults aged 18–65 undergoing radical surgery for lung cancer. Participants are allocated to intravenous esketamine or intravenous saline as the control comparator. The study is designed to assess whether perioperative esketamine influences postoperative depressive symptoms, inflammatory mediators, and intestinal flora in this surgical population. The primary outcomes are the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score and intestinal flora, though specific assessment timepoints are not provided in the registry entry. Secondary outcomes include postoperative pain measured by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and inflammatory markers. The trial is sponsored by the Department of Anaesthesiology at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University. Overall, this study aims to explore both psychological and biological effects of esketamine in patients with lung cancer after radical operation, with saline used as the comparator to help clarify any treatment-related changes in mood, inflammation, and gut microbiota.