Cancer surgery

What it is

Surgery is one of the oldest and most important cancer treatments. For a solid tumor that has not spread, removing it completely offers the best chance of cure. Surgeons aim for “clear margins” (no cancer cells at the cut edge) and may remove nearby lymph nodes to check for spread (sentinel-node biopsy or fuller dissection). Surgery is also used to diagnose and stage cancer (biopsy), to relieve symptoms (palliative surgery), to reduce tumor bulk before other therapy (debulking), and to reconstruct the body afterward. Modern approaches include minimally invasive (laparoscopic) and robotic techniques that use smaller incisions.

Why it's done

• Localized solid tumors that can be removed with clear margins — often the primary curative treatment
• To obtain tissue for diagnosis and staging (biopsy)
• To remove residual disease after chemotherapy or radiation shrinks a tumor
• Debulking of cancers (e.g., ovarian) where removing most of the tumor improves the effect of chemotherapy
• Palliative surgery to relieve pain, blockage, or bleeding

How it’s done

Performed under anesthesia by a surgical oncologist. Approach ranges from open surgery to minimally invasive (laparoscopic/robotic) techniques. It is frequently combined with chemotherapy, radiation, or targeted/immunotherapy given before (neoadjuvant) or after (adjuvant) the operation to lower the chance of recurrence.

Recovery

Depends heavily on the operation — from same-day discharge for a small excision to weeks of recovery after major abdominal or chest surgery. Pathology of the removed tissue guides whether additional (adjuvant) treatment is recommended.

Risks & considerations

• Bleeding, infection, blood clots and anesthesia risks
• Pain and loss of function depending on what is removed
• Lymphedema after lymph-node removal
• Incomplete removal (positive margins) may require more surgery or added therapy
• Not appropriate for cancer that has widely spread (metastatic disease)

Alternatives