Surgical Oncology

What is Surgical Oncology?

When you are diagnosed with cancer, your healthcare team will often recommend a combination of different treatments to give you the best possible outcome. While a Medical Oncologist uses medications (like chemotherapy) to fight the disease, another vital member of your team is the Surgical Oncologist.

If your treatment plan involves an operation, this is the specialist who will take the lead. Here is a simple, patient-friendly guide to understanding what surgical oncology is and how these experts help treat cancer.

What is a Surgical Oncologist?

A surgical oncologist is a highly specialized doctor who focuses on the surgical management of cancer. They are general surgeons who have completed additional, extensive training specifically dedicated to removing tumours and cancerous tissue from the body.

Their primary goal is to physically remove as much of the cancer as possible while preserving your healthy tissue and bodily functions. They are experts in understanding the complex anatomy of tumors, how cancer spreads through the body, and the most advanced surgical techniques to treat it safely.

What Does a Surgical Oncologist Do?

While their main job is performing operations, a surgical oncologist is involved in your care from the very beginning. They play a crucial role in several stages of your cancer journey:

1. Diagnosis (Biopsy)

Often, the first step in treating cancer is confirming exactly what type of cancer it is. A surgical oncologist will frequently perform a biopsy, which involves removing a small piece of suspicious tissue so it can be examined under a microscope by a pathologist.

2. Staging the Cancer

To determine the best treatment plan, your doctors need to know how large the tumour is and whether the cancer has spread to other parts of your body (like your lymph nodes). During surgery, the oncologist will examine the surrounding area to accurately "stage" the cancer.

3. Treatment (Tumour Removal)

This is the most common reason you will see a surgical oncologist. If a tumour is solid and contained in one area (localized), surgery is often the most effective way to cure the cancer or significantly stop its spread.

• Curative Surgery: The goal is to completely remove all cancerous tissue from the body.
• Debulking Surgery: If removing the entire tumour would damage vital organs, the surgeon will remove as much of it as safely possible (debulking). This makes other treatments, like chemotherapy or radiation, more effective.

4. Palliative Surgery (Symptom Relief)

Sometimes, surgery cannot cure the cancer, but it can significantly improve a patient's quality of life. Palliative surgery is used to relieve severe pain or clear blockages caused by a tumour pressing on nerves or organs, making the patient much more comfortable.

Advanced Surgical Techniques

The field of surgical oncology is constantly advancing. Today, these specialists use cutting-edge techniques to make surgeries safer, less invasive, and easier to recover from.

Depending on your diagnosis, your surgeon may use:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery (Laparoscopy): Instead of one large incision, the surgeon makes several tiny cuts and uses a small camera and specialized instruments to remove the tumour. This often leads to less pain and a faster recovery.
• Robotic-Assisted Surgery: The surgeon controls highly precise robotic arms from a computer console in the operating room, allowing for incredibly exact movements in hard-to-reach areas of the body.

Your Cancer Care Team

It is important to remember that a surgical oncologist rarely works alone. They collaborate closely with your Medical Oncologist and Radiation Oncologist to create a comprehensive treatment plan. For example, you might receive chemotherapy before surgery to shrink a tumour, or after surgery to kill any remaining microscopic cancer cells.