Surgical oncology is the branch of surgery that focuses on the removal of cancerous tumours or tissues. Surgery is the oldest approach to treating cancer and the most common. It can also be the most successful way to treat the disease.
Surgery is often the first step in cancer treatment because it can be used to both diagnose and/or treat cancer. Surgeons perform biopsies (cells or tissues are removed from the body and then examined) to help diagnose your condition. More than half of the people diagnosed with cancer will have some type of surgery or operation at some point.
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Surgical oncology involves the full range of cancer care:
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Detection – screening patients to find out if they have cancer
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Diagnosis – determining what kind of cancer is present
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Staging – determining the extent of a cancer and where it has spread
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Treatment – to cure or relieve symptoms of a cancer
Although some types of cancer can be cured through surgery, many others may still require other cancer treatment which is why surgery is part of a multidisciplinary treatment approach. Your team could include any/all of the: surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, nurses, prosthetics experts, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, social workers, nutritionists and dietitians.