Cancer Surgery

Cancer surgery is an operation or procedure to remove a tumor from the body. Sometimes, some surrounding healthy tissue is also removed. It is the oldest kind of cancer treatment, and it still works well to treat many types of cancer today.

A doctor who specializes in cancer surgery is called a surgical oncologist. Cancer surgeries may also be done by other types of doctors who specialize in cancer or other types of surgery.

You might have surgery to remove a tumor, help your body work the way it used to, or relieve side effects. You may also need surgery to find out:

• If you have cancer
• Where the cancer is located
• If it has spread or is affecting other organs in the body

Surgery can be performed in an doctor’s office, clinic, surgery center, or hospital. Where the surgery is done depends on the type of surgery and how much time you will need to recover under the care of your health care team. If you do not need to be monitored for long after your surgery, you can go home the same day or the next day. This is called outpatient surgery or ambulatory surgery. If you need to be monitored for more time, you may stay at the hospital for more than one night. This is called inpatient surgery.