This fact sheet gives you some basic information about surgery for cancer.
Surgery means treating illness by cutting away body tissue. It is one of the main treatments for cancer. Usually a surgical knife (scalpel) is used. Another way is to use high-energy light beams (lasers) that can cut through body tissue. Sometimes a small metal rod (probe) which freezes cells is used to destroy tissue and this is known as cryotherapy.
What is cancer?
The organs and tissues of the body are made up of tiny building blocks called cells. Cancer is a disease of these cells. Although cells in each part of the body may look and work differently, most repair and reproduce themselves in the same way. Normally this takes place in an orderly and controlled way, but if the process gets out of control the cells will divide much more rapidly than normal cells and will form a lump called a tumour. Tumours can be either benign or malignant. Cancer is the name given to a malignant tumour. Many people with cancer will have radiotherapy as part of their treatment.
What is surgery used for?
Cancer surgery can be used for a number of purposes:
Diagnosis : To confirm the diagnosis of cancer and find out about the type of cancer, the surgeon may remove a small piece of tissue. The sample is then examined in the laboratory. This is called a biopsy.
Treatment : Where possible, surgery is used to remove the tumour and surrounding tissues that might contain cancer cells. Occasionally, surgery is used to remove cancer cells that have spread from an original tumour into another part of the body, such as the lung or liver.
Staging : This is the process that doctors use to work out whether the cancer is just in the place in which it first started, or whether it is likely to spread to other parts of the body. Staging can be done at the same time as surgery to remove a tumour. Information about the stage of the cancer is used to plan treatment.
Reconstruction : Surgery can be used to restore:
- a part of the body: for example, to create a new bladder
- the appearance of part of the body: for example, breast reconstruction after a mastectomy (an operation to remove the breast).
Palliation If the cancer cannot be completely removed or cured, surgery can sometimes still help by removing or bypassing a tumour to reduce its effects, such as blockage, discomfort or other complications.
If your cancer has spread by the time you are diagnosed, you may not be offered surgery as your main treatment. This is because surgery alone will not cure you. Depending on the type of cancer you have, you may be offered a treatment that treats cancer cells throughout the body, such as chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or immunotherapy. Radiotherapy may also be used to help to control a cancer that cannot be treated surgically. Sometimes treatment can be given to reduce the size of a cancer so that less surgery is needed.
The right surgeon for the job
To diagnose your cancer, you may be seen by a specialist surgeon at your local hospital. For example, you will see a breast surgeon if you think you may have breast cancer or a gastrointestinal surgeon if you think that you may have stomach cancer.
For some types of surgery you may need to see a specialist surgeon who is expert in the particular type of surgery that you need. This may mean that you have to have your treatment at a specialist cancer centre, which may be at some distance from where you live. If you want to know where you will be treated, you can talk to your GP. He or she can explain the procedure and if necessary arrange for you to see another doctor for a second medical opinion. You can also ask your surgeon if he or she specialises in your type of cancer.
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