Surgical oncologists are surgeons who specialize in the surgical
management of specific types of cancer. The surgical oncologists at Aurora
have an advanced level of expertise to treat many different types of
cancer, including:
Bone
Bladder
Brain
Breast
Colorectal
Endocrine
Gastrointestinal
Gynecologic
Kidney
Lung
Melanoma (skin)
Prostate
Soft Tissue
Spine
Testicular
The type of technique utilized depends on the specific case of
each patient. Types of surgeries performed include:
Diagnostic surgery – a biopsy to diagnose the presence of
cancer. Surgeons can often obtain a tissue sample by simply inserting a
needle into the tumor (fine needle aspiration). A surgical lymph node
biopsy involves the removal and testing of a lymph node to determine the
spread of cancer.
Supportive surgery – sometimes required to administer a
certain type of cancer treatment such as ports underneath the skin for
chemotherapy.
Staging surgery – used to determine if cancer has spread and,
if it has, what body parts are affected. Staging may be accomplished
without an incision by using flexible tubes called endoscopes. Other
times, laparoscopic surgery provides the best method for viewing and
sampling suspicious areas.
Curative surgery – to remove malignant tumors.
Palliative Surgery – used to improve the quality of life and ease
pain for patients with advanced cancer.
Restorative surgery – to
cosmetically return the body to a normal appearance, such as breast
reconstruction.
Preventive surgery – a proactive approach to dealing with
cancer. Surgeons will remove suspicious or precancerous tissue before it
can become malignant. Examples include removing colon polyps to avoid
colon cancer, and questionable moles to avoid skin cancer.
For more information, call the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic Hotline at
800-252-2990.
