Surgical Oncology

Surgical oncology is the branch of oncology that deals with the surgical aspect of cancer treatment. The primary goal of surgery is to resect or eliminate any tumours in the body. Doctors who practice surgical oncology are called surgical oncologists. These doctors also diagnose cancers and find out if the cancer has metastasized.

Surgical oncology can help with most cancer stages, especially during the early stages. Surgical intervention is often needed for the following reasons:

Cancer prevention: In patients with precancerous conditions, removal of the tumour can prevent it from turning malignant. For example, in patients with leukoplakia, removing the tumour can prevent it from turning into its malignant counterpart. This is especially true when patients have a strong familial history or habits that are associated with cancer.
Cancer diagnosis: Biopsies are minor surgical procedures that help diagnose the nature of a suspected tumour.
Assess the severity: Surgery can help diagnose tumour metastasis to nearby lymph nodes and other organs. Even though imaging techniques are at the forefront of diagnosis, an open surgical view provides more accurate information in complex cases.
Cancer treatment: With surgery, it is possible to remove the suspected tissue completely and prevent its recurrence by removing some additional surrounding tissue.
Symptomatic relief: Sometimes, tumours compress surrounding structures such as the nerves and vessels, thereby blocking them and affecting their function. In such cases, patients may experience pain, numbness, weakness, or discomfort for which, these tumours can be surgically excised. Surgeries done for the above reasons are known as palliative care surgeries.
Aesthetic improvement: Cancers can distort the body shape, making us feel different and uncomfortable. Hence, plastic surgeries are performed to restore aesthetics and function in areas that have been affected by cancer.

Diseases Treated

Cancer treatment requires a multitude of treatment approaches and not just one. Surgery is an essential component of cancer treatment that can not only cure but also prevent, diagnose and provide other benefits. Here are some diseases that often require surgery:

Breast Cancer: Surgical oncology is integral to breast cancer—whether as a standalone curative approach in the earlier stages or in conjunction with chemotherapy/radiotherapy as a collaborative effort. The ideal outcome is to excise the tumor with clear margins, evaluate axillary involvement, and do functional and aesthetic preservation whenever available.
Head & Neck Cancer: These malignancies affect the oral cavity, the pharynx, the larynx, and the thyroid, and others. Surgery is intended to remove the tumor, check for lymph node involvement, and postoperatively restore swallowing and speech functions. Reconstruction of the region is done for functional as well as aesthetic purposes.
Gastrointestinal cancers: A wide variety of GI cancers can be treated with surgery. These include oesophagal cancer, stomach or gastric cancer, small bowel cancer, colon, rectal, anal and gall bladder cancers and others.
Genito-urinary and Gynaecological cancers: Various forms of genito-urinary and gynaecological cancers such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and other such cancers can be treated with surgery.
Neuro-onco cancers: Cancers of neural origin are known as neuro- cancers. Some examples include astrocytoma, pituitary adenoma, glioblastoma multiforme, meningioma, schwannoma, glioma, metastatic brain tumours and others.

Key procedures performed at the centre

Surgery can help not only treat certain cancers but also diagnose, improve aesthetics, provide palliative care, and prevent cancer. Here are some key procedures carried out at Action Cancer Hospital:

Plastic surgeries and Reconstruction: Cancers tend to distort our natural body shape and size. Such distortion can impact one’s confidence and emotional aspect. To improve facial esthetics and other areas of the body, plastic reconstructive surgeries for a crucial part of surgical oncology. Some examples include complex head and neck reconstruction, breast reconstruction, genito-urinary reconstruction, soft tissue cancer reconstruction and others.
Endoscopy/Biopsy: Biopsies are carried out for various reasons such as diagnosis, prevention and excision of tumours or suspected tissues.
Head and neck surgery: Cancers of the head and neck can be treated with minor surgical procedures as well as complex ones depending on the location and size of the cancer. Some examples of head and neck cancer surgeries include flap and grafting procedures, biopsies, tracheostomy, incision and drainage, palliative surgeries, endocrine surgeries and others.
Surgery of tongue, buccal mucosa, larynx, thyroid, parotid: Thyroid cancer surgery is a crucial surgery performed at ACH. Depending on the involvement of cancer, a total thyroid removal called thyroidectomy can be done or a part of the thyroid can be removed by a process called lobectomy.
Breast Surgery: Surgery is a generic term for breast tumor resection. The decision is individualized based on the tumor size, its location, stage, and on the patient’s choices.
BCS/Oncoplasty (Breast Conserving Surgery): The procedure excises the tumor, leaving the breast largely intact. Oncoplasty is the term for the integration of cancer surgery and plastic surgery to ensure a normal contour and symmetry.
Sentinel Node Biopsy: Involves the initial lymph node(s) that drain the breast (sentinel nodes) and assesses them for the presence of cancer. This procedure minimizes the need for lymph node excisions.4) Mastectomy: Surgical oncology may involve the removal of the whole breast due to the size of the tumor, multifocal disease, or specific risk. It may also include axillary lymph node involvement.
Breast Reconstruction: Surgery to restore the shape of the breast after a mastectomy or the removal of a large breast tumor. Reconstruction may be done with either breast implants or the patient's own tissue. This also provides psychological benefits and improves the patient's body image.
TORS (Transoral Robotic Surgery): This technique uses a robot to assist with the removal of specific head and neck cancers through the mouth. It allows for more precise removal of tumors and may reduce the time needed for recovery due to the decreased amount of external scarring.