Surgical oncology refers to surgery aimed at treating cancer, most often used to remove a tumor along with the surrounding tissue.
What Is Surgical Oncology?Surgical oncology isn’t just about removing a tumor, it can serve several other purposes as well:
- Palliative surgery. Performed to relieve the effects caused by the presence of a tumor. It can help ease the pressure or pain it’s causing, clear a blockage in the stomach, stop bleeding, prevent fractures, or even place a feeding or medication tube.
- Reconstructive surgery. Helps address the effects of the cancer itself or its treatment. This procedure can be done at the same time as treatment or later on, once the patient has recovered. This includes procedures such as breast reconstruction, for example.
- Debulking surgery. A type of surgery that removes part of the tumor, but not all of it. This is sometimes done because removing the entire tumor would cause greater harm to the patient.
- Diagnostic surgery. Biopsy is the main method used to diagnose cancer, in which the doctor removes a small sample of tissue that may be cancerous; in some cases, the entire tumor can be removed. A biopsy can also be performed using a needle instead of an incision, making it a minimally invasive procedure.
- Staging. This procedure is used to determine the size of the tumor, whether it has spread, and if so, where. During this procedure, the doctor may also remove nearby lymph nodes to learn more about the cancer’s stage, since lymph nodes are often the first place cancer spreads to.
- Tumor removal. One of the most common surgical procedures, in which the doctor removes the tumor along with a margin of surrounding healthy tissue. Depending on the case, surgery alone may be sufficient, or it may need to be combined with additional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
- Preventive surgery. In some cases, a patient may undergo surgery to reduce their risk of developing cancer, for example, when a colonoscopy detects a precancerous growth, or in some high-risk cases, having breast tissue removed before a cancer diagnosis is even made.
The Difference Between Surgical Oncology and Medical OncologyMedical oncology is a specialty focused on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, taking a whole-patient approach that includes radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and other types of medication. It also encompasses surgical oncology for cases in which the tumor or surrounding tissue requires surgical treatment.
Through the oncology center, you’ll find specialists focused on cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as the specialized procedures involved in surgical oncology.
At ABC Medical Center’s Cancer Center, we can provide you with specialized care to help you learn more about surgical oncology treatments. Contact us!
