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Oncology speciality almost always requires a multidisciplinary team approach. Though surgery is still one of the oldest and most successful cancer treatments particularly for localised tumours. There are many therapies in modern oncology that can be utilised as an alternative or in addition to surgery. The choice is based on cancer type, stage, location, health and patient preference.

In a conversation with The Daily Jagran, Dr Pushpinder Gulia, Director - Surgical Oncology & Robotic Surgery, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram explained how cancer is not always a surgical disease.

Key Points Oncologists Emphasise

Early-stage, Localised Cancers are treated with a surgical first approach.

Tumours that are limited to one organ (e.g. early breast, colon, Thyroid, Stomach, ovarian or kidney cancer) usually work best with removal by surgery and later may require adjuvant treatment for the best possible outcome.

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Some Cancers Are Treated Mainly Without Surgery

Blood cancers such as leukaemia and lymphoma are treated with chemotherapy, targeted therapy or immunotherapy and some may require Bone Marrow Treatment.

Surgery is mainly used for establishing the diagnosis in the form of biopsy and for providing vascular access in the form of PICC Line or Chemo port insertion. Certain brain, lung and head–neck cancers do well with radiation or systemic therapies (Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy), either alone or in combination.

Surgery may be combined with other treatments in the management of locally advanced tumours either before or after surgery.

Neoadjuvant Therapy: Preoperative chemotherapy or radiation or concurrent chemoradiotherapy to reduce the bulk of tumours and make them amenable to surgery.

Adjuvant Therapy: Therapy following surgery to eliminate microscopic disease.

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In Advanced and metastatic disease, surgery may not offer a survival benefit and is usually restricted to palliation of symptoms like obstruction or bleeding.

Nowadays with the technological advancements surgery is also used in advanced and metastatic diseases like in ovarian and colon cancers in the form of CRS with HIPEC.