Surgical Oncology

Surgery refers to taking out tissue from the body. It is one of the main treatments for several types of cancer. 

One can get surgery to: diagnose cancer as well as treat cancer (on its own or with the help of other treatments). Reduce one's risk of getting a particular type of cancer (if one already has a high risk) 

What Are the Different Types of Surgery Utilised in Cancer Treatment? 

Different types of surgery are helpful to people suffering from cancer. Few surgeries are utilised in combination with other types of treatment. Types of surgeries comprises: 

Curative surgery 

This type of surgery takes out the cancerous tumour or growth from the body. Surgeons utilise curative surgery when the cancerous tumour is localized to a specific portion of the body. This type of treatment is usually considered the primary treatment. However, other forms of cancer treatments, such as radiation, may be utilised before or after the surgery. 

Preventive surgery 

This type of surgery is utilised to take out tissue that does not contain cancerous cells but may develop into a malignant tumour. For instance, polyps in the colon may be regarded precancerous tissue and preventative surgery may be done to take them out.  

Diagnostic surgery 

This type of surgery aids to assess whether cells are cancerous. Diagnostic surgery is utilised to take out a tissue sample for testing as well as evaluation (in a laboratory by a pathologist). The tissue samples aid to confirm a diagnosis, recognise the type of cancer, or assess the stage of the cancer. 

Staging surgery 

This type of surgery works to uncover the advancement of cancer, or the extent of the ailment in the body. Laparoscopy (a viewing tube with a lens/camera is put through a minor cut to examine the interior of the body and to take out tissue samples) instance of a surgical staging procedure.  

Debulking surgery 

This type of surgery takes out a portion, though not entire, of a cancerous tumour. It is utilised in certain situations when taking out complete tumour may cause damage to an organ or the body. Other forms of cancer treatment, for instance, chemotherapy and radiation, may be utilised post debulking surgery is done. 

Palliative surgery 

This type of surgery is utilised to treat cancer at advanced/end -stages. It does not work to cure cancer, but to ease discomfort or to rectify other problems cancer or cancer treatment may have created.  

Supportive surgery 

This type of surgery is like palliative surgery as it does not work to cure cancer. Instead, it aids in other cancer treatments work effectively. An instance of supportive surgery is the insertion of a catheter to help with chemotherapy. 

Restorative surgery 

This type of surgery is sometimes utilised as a follow-up to curative or other surgeries to alter or restore an individual's appearance or the function of a body part. For instance, women with breast cancer sometimes require breast reconstruction surgery to get back the physical shape of the impacted breast(s). Curative surgery used for oral cancer can cause an alteration in the shape and appearance of a person’s mouth. This type of surgery may be done to address these effects. 

Innovations 

Advent of Robotic surgery  

It is one of the latest advancements in the spectrum of minimally invasive surgery. After introduction of the robotic platform for surgical procedures in the beginning of the current millennium, the first operations were conducted for a variety of benign diseases. Recently, robotic surgery is also increasingly applied in complicated cancer surgery. Robotic-assisted surgical techniques, especially for tumours at solid organs located in visceral cavities, were developed, approved and distributed within the last decade. 

Use of AI 

Artificial intelligence (AI) along with machine learning (ML) are significantly transforming the medical landscape, improving diagnosis precision, surgical precision, and clinical outcomes.  

The synergy between AI and ML will inevitably be crucial towards driving the innovation of new machines and tools that will improve patients’ prognoses, survival rates, and quality of life following thoracic surgery, especially relating to thoracic oncology. AI has showed promising results on patient prognosis concentrating on surgical patient management because it implies not only the usefulness of the proposed surgical plan, but also the impact on the patients’ short- and long-term outcomes. Moreover, AI introduces new perspectives and possibilities in radiology, pathology, and respiratory medicine, which are important parts of the pre-operative, post-operative, and follow-up management of a patient. 

Fortis Hospital's department of Surgical Oncology gives both outpatient as well as inpatient services for screening, diagnosis, as well as treatment of cancer patients. The objective is to assess as well as workout the treatment intervention for the surgical services in oncology patients so that the rate of survival is improved, recovery time is reduced, treatment-related side effects are minimised. The team recognises patients who can gain advantage from surgery both at early as well as late stages and provide them surgical solutions that they appreciate and benefit from.