Surgery Cancer Treatment

Surgery is the oldest type of cancer therapy and still an effective treatment for many types of cancer. Surgical oncologists perform procedures to diagnose cancer; to remove all or some of cancer or tumor; to find out where the cancer is located; to find out if cancer has spread or is affecting the functions of other organs in the body; to restore the body's appearance or function; and/or to relieve side effects.

Types of surgery:

• Debulking surgery
• Diagnostic surgery
• Primary or curative surgery
• Palliative surgery
• Preventive surgery
• Reconstructive or plastic surgery
• Staging surgery
• Tumor removal

How does surgery work against cancer?

Surgery can treat cancer in many ways, including:

• Removing a small piece of something that could be cancerous to check it for cancer cells (biopsy)
• Seeing how much cancer is in the body and how far it has spread (staging)
• Removing all the cancer
• Removing most of the cancer so that other treatments, such as radiation or chemo, can work better
• Treating problems caused by the cancer
• Inserting devices to help with cancer treatment, including feeding tubes or IV access tubes
• Helping replace or fix body parts following cancer treatment, such as replacing a bone that has been removed
• Trying to prevent someone from getting cancer

How is it performed?

Depending on the type of procedure you need, surgery will either be performed traditionally or with a minimally invasive technique, using robotics. Surgeries are performed in BRG’s operating rooms, and depending on the type of procedure, patients may recover in the hospital or at home.