Surgery

Surgery

Surgery means treating illness by cutting away body tissue. It is one of the main treatments for cancer. Usually a surgical knife (scalpel) is used but high-energy light beams (lasers) can also be used to cut through body tissue.

Cryotherapy is a type of surgery which uses a freezing probe to remove tissues.

Cancer surgery can be used for:

• Diagnosis - a small piece of tissue is removed to confirm diagnosis of cancer. This is called a biopsy.
• Treatment - to remove the tumour or nearby tissues which might contain cancer cells.
• Staging - this process is used to work out the size of the cancer and whether it has spread.
• Reconstruction - for example, breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.
• Palliation - if the cancer cannot be completely removed or cured, surgery may help by removing a tumour to reduce the effects.