How Surgical Oncology Improves Survival and Quality of Life

Surgery has been a major part of cancer treatment, and its role has become more prominent with the continuous advancements, offering patients a chance at improved survival and a better quality of life by removing tumors and affected tissue, surgeons can significantly impact the disease’s progression. It is considered as the most powerful approach when tumors are found at an early stage.

What is Surgical Oncology

Surgical‍‌‍‍‌ oncology focuses on the surgical treatment of tumors that are cancerous or even precancerous. It includes the operations aimed at ridding the body of the abnormal growth, assessing the spread of the disease, and determining treatment plans by working closely with medical and radiation oncologists.

Why Surgery Plays a Central Role in Cancer Treatment

The‍‌‍‍‌ cancer treatment constitutes a network of different treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted treatments. Despite the power of these treatments, surgery is still a fundamental element for various reasons, such as:

• It is the direct method to get rid of the tumor.

• It offers useful information for correct diagnosis.

• It aids in determining the accurate stage of the disease.

• When combined with other treatments, it enhances their efficiency.

Core Functions of Surgical Oncology

Diagnosis and Staging

Surgery provides means to find out and to understand the type of cancer

1. Biopsy Methods

A biopsy is done by taking few tissues from a part or the total tissue of a suspicious lump. The subsequently result clarify whether the growth is benign, malignant or pre-cancerous.

2. Accurate Staging

Surgeons evaluate tumor size, infiltration, and metastatic spread during an operation. The precise staging is the basis of most effective treatment plans, the effect of which on patients’ recovery is very ‍‌‍‍‌significant.

Tumor Removal (Curative Surgery)

In many cases of cancer, removing the tumor is the main way to achieve a cure. Surgical oncologists aim to cut out not only the whole tumor but also a small part of the healthy tissue to lessen the risk of cancer coming back. If cancers are caught at an early stage and have not spread, surgery alone might be enough to get rid of the disease.

Debulking Surgery

In situations where tumors are so large or located in such a place that they cannot be removed completely, the debulking method is used. The reduction of the cancerous tissue volume causes:

the cancer drugs to be more effective; radiation treatment can be more accurately directed;

the symptoms resulting from the tumor pressing on organs may be alleviated.

Debulking becomes quite effective, for example, in ovarian cancer, where the reduction of tumor mass makes the cancer cells much more sensitive to the systemic ‍‌‍‍‌treatments.

Palliative Surgery

Palliative procedures are used to enhance a patient’s quality of life in advanced stages, where a cure may not be possible. These operations aim to:

• Ease pain

• Control bleeding

• Decrease blockage (e.g., bowel or airway blockage)

• Raise day-to-day comfort

While these measures are not curative, they play a crucial role in the overall well-being of the patient.

Reconstructive Surgery

Once the large tumors or cancer-affected parts of the body have been removed, reconstructive surgery is used to regain the lost function and beauty. Some of the examples are:

• The reconstruction of the breast after mastectomy

• The restructuring of the facial bones

• The restoration of the movement after the removal of a bone ‍‌‍‍‌tumor

Modern Advancements Transforming Surgical Oncology

The surgery methods that came as a result of innovation in the recent years made the procedures safer, more precise, and less invasive.

Minimally Invasive Surgery

Operations can now be performed in the affected area through a robotic-assisted surgery or laparoscopy tool without the need for a large incision. The effects are:

• Pain is reduced

• Recovery is quicker

• Bleeding is less

• The time spent in hospital is reduced

Image-Guided Surgery

Precise and safe operation is always the goal of any surgeon, and advanced imaging tools like CT, MRI, and ultrasound help them by showing the exact locations throughout the procedure.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy

By using this method, the first lymph node (“sentinel node”) that the cancer will spread to, is located. That single node is removed and tested; thus, fewer lymph nodes removal is done and less cases of complications occur.

Why Early Surgical Intervention Matters

In general, time is very important in the fight against cancer. As a result of surgery performed at an early stage, it is usually:

• Possible to remove the tumor in total treatment

• Chance of cancer spreading is very low

• Less aggressive therapy may be enough after the surgery

• Long-term prognosis is very good.

Cancer treatment would not be complete without surgical oncology which is crucial for treatment of most patients. It is the core of many treatment regimens that involve surgery to diagnose and stage the disease, remove the tumors, and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Dr. Santosh Basavantappa Chikaraddi, Consultant Surgical Oncologist, HCG NMR Cancer Centre, Hubli