Medical oncologists are general surgeons with specialty training in procedures for diagnosing the stage of cancer or removing cancerous growths. The most common procedures performed by these surgeons are biopsies and surgery for tumorous growth removal. They can also perform surgery to stage cancer and determine how far cancer has spread. In some cases, surgery may be the only treatment you need. With other circumstances, you may have surgery and receive additional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation. In these cases, a surgical oncologist may be a significant part of your cancer care team.
What does a surgical oncologist do?
They are specially trained in surgery and have focused their training on diagnosing and treating cancer. These surgeons remove primary tumors, lymph nodes around the tumor, local or regional tumor and distant metastases. They work with the cancer care team, medical oncologists, oncology nurses, radiologists, pathologists and those with a range of other medical specialties to provide complete cancer care.
Though surgical oncologist focusses on cancer-specific surgeries. That’s particularly true for the more common cancers that require surgery. Breast, skin and lower stomach tract. They often work with medical oncologists, who may deliver chemotherapy if needed. In recent years, medical oncologists have become more multi-skilled and may offer treatments and procedures like advanced genomic testing, targeted therapy, neoadjuvant therapy and adjuvant therapy.
Reasons to visit cancer care specialists
There are many reasons you might see a medical oncologist. You might see cancer care specialists if you have a growth or tumor. If your primary care doctor suspects you might have cancer, they can refer you to an oncologist for a biopsy. You can also see a medical oncologist for preventive surgery. This type of surgery involves removing precancerous tissue or removing tissue or specific organs to prevent developing cancer in the future. Preventative surgery is most common with patients who have genetic traits for developing cancer or who have close families who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer Insights
Billions of cells make up our bodies. The cells are so small that we can only see them under a microscope. Cells group together to make up the tissues and organs of our bodies. They are very similar. But differ in some ways because body organs do very different things. For example, nerves and muscles do different things, so the cells have different structures. There are more than 200 types of cancer and we can classify cancers according to where they start in the body, such as breast cancer or lung cancer. We can also group cancer according to the type of cell they start in. There are 5 main groups. Carcinoma, Sarcoma, Leukemia, Lymphoma and Myeloma, Brain and Spinal cord cancers.
What is Integrative Oncology?
It is a patient-centered, evidence informed field of cancer care that uses mind and body practices, natural products or lifestyle modifications from different traditions alongside conventional cancer treatments. This aims to enhance health, quality of life, and clinical outcomes across the cancer care variety and to empower people to prevent cancer and become active participants before, during, and beyond cancer treatment. Integrative therapies can help with your treatment goals, side effects, and distress. In addition, it can help you to stick to your treatment plan, which may lead to better outcomes.
Conclusion
In summary, Surgery is one of the most common treatments for cancer. It’s used for a variety of reasons, including to determine diagnosis and performance through biopsy, tumor removal or reduction to help relieve symptoms. Surgical oncologist may perform surgeries to treat different cancers, especially solid tumors and those contained to one area. Whether surgery is recommended depends on several factors, including the type of tumor, its location and its stage when diagnosed. Providers also consider the patient’s preferences for treatment, age and ability to tolerate surgery.
