Surgery occupies an important position in treatment of most so-called solid cancerous tumours, as opposed to blood cancers such as leukaemia or lymphoma.

It must satisfy a double requirement: it must remove a tumour completely, and must also attempt, wherever possible, to preserve unaffected organs or anatomical structures in order to maximise quality of life. It must therefore be complete, but not too wide; this would be destructive and not help halt the progress of the disease. This double objective is currently a major challenge. Modern surgical techniques used in reference centres require the assistance of surgeons specialising in cancer and surgery involving removal of cancerous tumours, known as oncological surgery, and that of surgeons specialising in reconstruction of organs, organ parts and removed tissue.

Cancer surgery is therefore a completely separate specialist. It requires expertise and preservation of skills acquired, an objective that only regular and frequent performance of often delicate surgery allows to be realised. Acquired experience has an effect on results of treatment, which are often better when a significant level of surgery is involved.

A multidisciplinary approach is required both upstream and downstream from the surgical procedure.

The indication and performance of surgical treatment for cancer depends on the characteristics and level of aggression of the tumour, and its local and regional extent through networks of ganglia and lymphatic vessels. It is carried out either in isolation or in combination with other treatment methods.

The various specialists involved in the diagnosis and treatment of illness must share their knowledge and observations before a surgical operation is performed. This multidisciplinary approach helps determine the best course of action for each patient. The specialist doctors determine the role played by various therapeutic tools, namely surgery, radiotherapy and medication (chemotherapy, new molecules etc) and specify the way in which these tools should be combined.

These meetings are also necessary for conducting essential quality control checks on surgical treatment: after the operation, it is important to determine the quality of resection, to ensure that no microscopic traces of cancer cells remain, and to determine the level of invasion of lymphatic ganglia. This assessment is essentially based on microscopic analyses carried out by an anatomopathologist. It defines the steps to be taken following surgery and determines whether or not additional treatment is necessary.

Surgical treatment of cancer is the fruit of a multidisciplinary approach in which all the specialists involved in the diagnosis and treatment of disease are involved.

For each anatomical region, the surgery has certain specific features. To find out more, choose a tumour type from the list opposite.