Surgical Oncology

What is Surgical Oncology?

Surgical oncology is a specialized field of medicine that focuses on the surgical treatment of cancer. Surgical oncologists are surgeons who have received additional training in the complexities of diagnosing, staging, and treating various types of cancer through surgical procedures. The primary goal of surgical oncology is to remove cancerous tumors and surrounding tissues to prevent the spread of cancer and improve patient outcomes.

Surgical oncology encompasses a wide range of surgical procedures aimed at diagnosing, staging, and treating cancer. The main types of surgical oncology treatments include:

1. Diagnostic Surgery:
   • Biopsy: A surgical procedure to remove a small sample of tissue for examination under a microscope. Biopsies help confirm a cancer diagnosis and determine the type and stage of cancer.
2. Curative Surgery:
   • Primary Tumor Resection: The removal of the entire tumor along with some surrounding healthy tissue to ensure that all cancer cells are eliminated.
   • Wide Local Excision: Removal of the tumor and a margin of normal tissue around it to reduce the risk of recurrence.
   • Radical Surgery: Extensive surgery to remove the tumor, surrounding tissues, and possibly nearby lymph nodes and organs.
3. Preventive (Prophylactic) Surgery:
   • Surgery performed to remove tissue or organs at high risk of developing cancer. This is often done in individuals with genetic predispositions to certain cancers.
4. Debulking Surgery:
   • Also known as cytoreductive surgery, this procedure involves removing as much of the tumor as possible when complete removal is not feasible. This can make other treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation, more effective.
5. Palliative Surgery:
   • Surgery aimed at relieving symptoms and improving the quality of life for patients with advanced cancer. This can include procedures to alleviate pain, remove obstructions, or control bleeding.
6. Reconstructive Surgery:
   • Procedures to restore the appearance and function of body parts affected by cancer surgery. This is commonly performed after mastectomies, head and neck surgeries, and other major oncologic surgeries.
7. Minimally Invasive Surgery:
   • Techniques such as laparoscopic or robotic-assisted surgery, which involve smaller incisions and typically result in shorter recovery times, less pain, and fewer complications compared to traditional open surgery.
8. Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy:
   • A procedure to remove and examine the first lymph node(s) to which cancer cells are likely to spread from a primary tumor. This helps in accurate staging and determining the extent of cancer spread.
9. Laser Surgery:
   • The use of laser beams to remove or destroy cancerous tissues, often used for tumors in accessible areas such as the skin, cervix, and oral cavity.
10. Cryosurgery:
    • A technique that uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy cancer cells, commonly used for external tumors or those that can be reached with a cryoprobe.