What is the goal of surgical oncology?
The goal of surgery is to control or eliminate the local cancer in an attempt to improve the quality of the patient’s life. Successful surgical removal of localized cancer cures more cancer patients than any other form of treatment. A cure is not always possible and one of the most difficult decisions in surgical oncology is the decision not to perform surgery. Is there a surgeon that specializes in oncology? A surgical oncologist is often board certified by the American College of Veterinary Surgery that has advanced training and current knowledge of tumor biology and, importantly, the role of surgery in the multimodality treatment of cancer. What are the common reasons for surgery? The most common indications for surgery are to get a diagnosis (surgical biopsy), cure the cancer patient, pain relief or improved function, palliative surgery (marginal resection also known as de-bulking surgery) and incomplete removal to enhance success with combined treatments. What is surgery for diagn
