Surgery as a treatment mode for cancer

Cancer surgey is an important mode of cancer treatment worldwide. The role of surgery starts right from investigating a cancer as in biopsy to major surgery like excision of a tumor, amputation and reconstruction.

Though the indication for surgery may vary at different levels of cancer but in most cases it is indicated in early cases and where the cancer is localized or circumscibed.

The indication for surgery in cancer depends on the stage of cancer, site of the cancer, its consistency and nature. A benign tumor is almost always treated by surgery. The surgical mode of treatment has gradually evolved over the past century and mordernised tremendously during fast few decades.

The general and special role of surgery in the field of cnacer treatment have been dealt with in this article.

Surgery as a diagnostic modality of cancer

In cancer surgery not only plays an important role in the treatment but also in diagnosing a cancer. Biopsy is a procedure by which most of the cancers are diagnosed. It is a painless, harmless and outpatients procedure. Details about biopsy is already written at Biopsy a diagnostic tool to diagnose cancer and other disease

Fine needle aspiration cytology is another diagnostic tool whjich can diagnose the type of cancer whether it is benign or tumor, however the confirmatory diagnosis is only done by biopsy.

Surgery as a treatment modality of cancer

In most of the benign tumor surgery is considered as the treatment of choice and is the lone treatment. In many tumors doctors perform biopsy after excision of the tumor to know the nature of it and when it is diagnosed as malignant then surgery should not be considered as sufficient. In early disease may be surgery of radiotherapy as a single mode of treatment may be adequate. However as the disease progresses surgery alone becomes inadequate and a combined modality may be required with surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

For the best result of treatment a proper planning is essential, an aggressive treatment with surgery may not benefit upto the mark if there is improper planning. Thus one should consider that surgery in cancer is important but is only a part of the complete treatment of cancer.

Principle of surgical treatment in cancer

During surgery for a cancer there are few things which should be taken care of by a surgeon and the most important is the to know the intention of surgery whether it is for cure or as a palliative measure. Palliative measure is meant for symptomatic relief.

After obtaining the consent, the tumor should be widely excised with wide margin with control of depth of invasion. There should be pre plan for reconstruction surgery which should be sufficient according to the width of excision. The tissue lost should be replaced by either local, regional or free flaps.

Conservative and Radical surgery for cancer

It was earlier days when the organ affected by cancer was entirely removed along with some healthy tissues present at the margins and this used to be most depressing for the patients for example if a breast is removed from a young lady. But now a days the modified surgery is there where only part of the organs are removed whereever feasible and that too is reconstructed by reconstructive surgery. For example in some breast cancer only a part of the breast is removed and rest of the breast is reconstructed adequately. Now a days there are even procedures which is very less invasive.

Minimally invasive surgery

Minimally invasive procedures are less invasive, thus it improves the quality of life both physically and psychologically. There are few techniques like Carbon dioxide laser or photodynamic therapy which causes less pain and bleeding thus preserve function much better than conventional surgery.

Many abdominal surgery are noe done by laproscope where only a hole is made instead of long incision.

Coming to the conclusion, it is clear that in spite of being an excellent surgeon, one cannot provide excellent cancer treatment, hence a complete team of surgical, medical and radiological oncologist should be considered together with proper paramediacal caring to treat a cancer patient.