What surgery is used for

Cancer surgery can be used for a number of purposes, including:

Diagnosis

The surgeon may remove a small piece of tissue, which is used to confirm the diagnosis of cancer and to find out about the type of cancer. This is then examined in the laboratory. This procedure is called a biopsy.

Treatment

Where possible, surgery is used to remove the tumour and nearby tissues that may contain cancer cells. If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body that cannot be totally removed by surgery, you may still have surgery to remove the primary tumour (where the cancer started).

Staging

Staging means finding out the size of the cancer and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. Usually tests and scans are used to stage a cancer before surgery. However, sometimes staging is done at the same time as surgery to remove a tumour. Information about the stage of the cancer is used in planning treatment.

Reconstruction

Surgery can be used to reconstruct or reshape a part of the body. Examples include:

• breast reconstruction, which involves an operation to make a new breast shape after a mastectomy (removal of a breast) or improve the breast shape after lumpectomy (removal of part of the breast)
• facial reconstruction, which can be carried out to reshape areas of the face where tumours have been removed
• bladder reconstruction, which can sometimes be used to create a new bladder following a cystectomy (removal of the bladder).

Reconstructive surgery is usually carried out by specialist surgeons or plastic surgeons.

Controlling symptoms

If the cancer cannot be completely removed or cured, surgery can sometimes still help. Removing a tumour can reduce its effects, such as blockage, discomfort, or other complications.

If your cancer has already spread by the time you are diagnosed, you may not be offered surgery as your main treatment. You are more likely to be offered a treatment, such as chemotherapy| or hormonal therapy|, that works on cancer cells throughout the body.

Information about operations for specifc types of cancer can be found in our sections about individual cancer types|.