Touro is the place to go when you require advanced surgical treatment options
for your cancer. Surgery is considered to be the foundation of cancer
treatment for most patients. Surgery can be used on its own, or it can
be combined with other treatment options such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
All cancer patients are different. Your doctor might recommend surgery
based on the form of cancer you have as well as the stage of the cancer
and whether or not it has spread. Certain cancers, like blood cancer,
cannot be treated surgically. Forms of cancer that have spread to multiple
parts of your body might not be effectively treated with surgery. Whether
surgery is right for you depends on your condition and how your cancer
has progressed. The cancer surgeons at Touro are experts in the field
and will make sure you understand all your options.
Reasons for surgical treatment
Diagnosis
Cancer surgery can remove all or part of a tumor. The removed biopsy can
then be studied under a microscope. Your doctor will determine whether
the tumor is cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign).
Staging
Surgery can determine what stage your cancer has progressed to. Your doctor
can also determine the size of tumors and find out if the cancer has spread
and what area of the body it has spread to.
Treatment
Surgery can be used to remove a tumor. This is especially common when your
doctor believes that the disease has not spread.
Debulking
Sometimes cancerous tumors cannot be removed entirely. In this case, your
doctor can perform debulking surgery to remove a part of it.
Easing Symptoms & Side Effects
Surgery can be used to reduce pain as well as improve your quality of life.
Minimally invasive cancer surgery
Surgery can sometimes be invasive with long recovery times. We utilize
less invasive forms of surgery that come with less pain and shorter recovery
times when possible. Your doctor will discuss your surgery options with
you. Some of the most common types of minimally invasive surgeries include:
Cryosurgery
This form of minimally invasive surgery uses liquid nitrogen to freeze
cancerous cells.
Laparoscopic Surgery
This surgery creates small incisions in the skin using a thin tube that’s
equipped with a camera.
Laser Surgery
This form of surgery uses a beam of strong light that removes affected tissue.
Microscopically Controlled Surgery
This surgery option is used for skin cancer and involves shaving off layers
of cancer one at a time.
