Surgery is the oldest form of cancer treatment and is still the main treatment for many types of cancer. Surgery is also used:
- to lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer
- to restore function or appearance
- to relieve symptoms such as bleeding or pain caused by tumours
More than half of all people with cancer will undergo some type of surgery. Surgery is most often used to treat solid tumours and may be the only therapy required, or part of a combined approach to cancer treatment. There are many different surgical techniques and procedures used in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Follow-up after surgery will determine whether further treatment is needed.
Cancer Care Ontario is working together with the Program in Evidence-Based Care (PEBC) to gather and examine evidence on specific topics related to providing optimum surgical treatment for people affected by cancer in Ontario. The reports produced by these panels are available on Cancer Care Ontario's website.