Cancer surgery

Surgery is often used to remove tumours. If all the cancer cells are removed with the tumour, then it is possible to cure the cancer by surgery alone. However, depending on the size, type and location of the tumour, it may not be possible to remove all the cancer cells. If some are left behind, they will grow again to form another tumour or may spread to other parts of the body unless they are treated. Radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a combination of both are often used after surgery to stop the cancer coming back or spreading.

Surgery is sometimes used in the diagnosis of cancer, when a biopsy is performed to remove a small piece of tissue for testing in a laboratory. Surgery can also be used to assess or 'stage' the cancer. Staging is a method of describing the size and spread of a tumour. A biopsy may show how advanced a tumour is depending on the characteristics of the cells, and sometimes an operation is needed to see how large a tumour has grown or if it has spread.

Reconstructive surgery can be used to reshape parts of the body that have been removed or altered during surgical treatment for cancer. Breast reconstruction after a mastectomy is an example of reconstructive surgery.