Surgical Oncology

Surgical oncology is the branch of surgery that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and management of cancer through surgical procedures. A surgical oncologist removes tumors, surrounding tissues, and nearby lymph nodes to eliminate or control cancer, but also performs biopsies, reconstructive surgeries, and preventive operations. The goal is to remove cancer while preserving healthy tissue, often as part of a larger, multidisciplinary treatment plan that may include chemotherapy or radiation.

Surgical oncology can help people during the early stages of cancer or when the condition is more advanced. Some common reasons you might need this type of intervention are:

To prevent cancer. If you have a high risk of getting the disease in a certain part of your body, a surgical oncologist can do an operation to prevent it. They remove tissue in the area that’s precancerous or likely to become cancer. For example, some women who have a very strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer and mutations in genes that are linked with the disease may work with a surgical oncologist to remove their breasts before cancer appears.