A physician who specializes in treating malignancy through surgeries is called an oncologist surgeon. A surgeon may perform surgery for cancer prevention, diagnosis, side effects, primary treatment, staging and debulking. If the surgeon suspects that the patient is at a risk of developing cancer, he may remove certain tissues in order to prevent cancer. For example, if a patient has familial polyposis – a genetic disorder, the surgeon may remove the colon and the rectum because there is a high risk of developing colon cancer. Surgery is also done for diagnosing the tumor. A surgeon identifies benign and malignant tumors by removing a part of the tumor and studying them under the microscope.
An oncologist surgeon analyses the staging and size of the tumor by removing the entire lump and the lymph nodes present in the organ. Patients who have stage 1 cancer are advised by the oncologist surgeon to remove the lump and the associated lymph nodes to ensure cancerous tissue does not spread elsewhere. A surgeon performs the debulking in cases where the removal of the entire tissues may harm the organ. People who are suffering from severe pain caused by cancer are advised to undergo a surgery to remove the pain-causing tumor.
Generally a surgery is performed depending on the intensity of the cancerous tissue in an organ.
For example, if the cancerous cells in a tumor are identified in the beginning stage then the surgeon suggests only for the removal of the tumor. A surgeon may suggest the removal of an organ if the cancerous cells have just started spreading to the lymph nodes. Oncology surgeries are always associated with radiation and chemotherapy. These are the two common technologies that are used to prevent the growth of cancerous tissue. An oncologist surgeon advises the patients to visit his office regularly after the surgery.
