Surgery for cancer

[Couch Potatoe]

Surgery is a traditional form of cancer treatment. It is the most effective in eliminating most types of cancer before it has spread to lymph nodes or distant sites (metastasized). Surgery may be used alone or in combination with other treatments, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy (see also Cancer Treatment Principles). Doctors may give these other treatments:

Before surgery (neoadjuvant therapy) to reduce the size of the tumor before surgery
After surgery (adjuvant therapy) to ensure that as many cancer cells as possible are eliminated

If the cancer has not metastasized, surgery may cure the person. However, it is not always possible to be sure before surgery whether the cancer has or has not spread. During surgery, doctors often remove lymph nodes near the tumor (sentinel nodes) to see whether the cancer has spread to them. If so, the person may be at a high risk of having the cancer recur and may need chemotherapy or radiation therapy after surgery to prevent a recurrence.
Surgery is not the preferred treatment for all early-stage cancers. Some cancers grow in inaccessible sites. In other instances, removing the cancer might require removing a necessary organ, or surgery might impair the organ