Surgery is the earliest treatment for cancer, and is also an outstanding choice for cancer care. In addition to removing the cancerous tumour, Surgery can also help confirm a diagnosis and classify the stage of cancer. While Surgery is an efficient treatment for several forms of cancer, the cancer’s site and growth behaviour will determine if the most efficient response would be Surgery.
Surgery may be required at different stages of cancer development:
- During cancer diagnosis
- For eliminating all or part of a cancer
- For determining where the cancer lies
- For assessing whether the cancer has spread or has an effect on other organ functions in the body
- For restoring the appearance or feature of the body
- For treating the side effects of cancer
You may have Surgery in the doctor’s clinic, operating centre, or hospital. It depends on the type of operation and how long you need to recover from it. There is inpatient operation where you need to stay in hospital overnight or longer to recover from the Surgery. Outpatient Surgery means you do not need to stay overnight in hospital before or after the procedure.
