Surgical Cancer Treatment

Learn more about how we use surgery to treat cancer.

Overview

Surgery is a common way to treat cancer by removing tumours from the body.

In many cases, healthy tissue that is around the tumour is also removed to reduce the risk of the tumour growing back. Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed.

The goal of cancer surgery depends on your specific treatment plan and may include:

Removing the entire tumour when the cancer is contained in one area
Removing part of the tumour (debulking) to help other treatments work better
Easing cancer symptoms when tumours are causing pain or pressure

What to expect

In some cases, surgery is the only cancer treatment needed. However, most patients with cancer have a combination of surgery and other treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy as part of their care plan.

Our cancer care team will give you all the information you need to plan for your surgery. This includes information about your specific procedure and about planning for your care after the surgery.

Pre-admission unit

Before your surgery date, you will have an appointment at our Pre-Admission Unit. Your visit to Pre-Admission is a very important part of preparing you for surgery. If you miss this appointment, we cannot proceed with your surgery.

At the Pre-Admission Unit, our interprofessional care team will evaluate your health, identify any factors that will affect your surgery and make a final plan for the day of your surgery.

We will go over all of the important instructions with you. You may want to bring a family member or friend to help you remember information or ask questions.

Preparing for surgery

It is important to follow all the instructions our care team gives you.

Your stomach must be completely empty before surgery. Do not eat or drink anything after midnight on the night before and on the day of your surgery. This includes gum, candy and smoking.

Let your care team know if you are using any blood-thinning medications, including Aspirin.

If there are any changes to your health in the time between your pre-admission visit and your surgery, let your physician know immediately.

After surgery

Someone must take you home after your surgery as you will not be able to drive.

You will also need someone to help you once you return home. Depending on the type of surgery you had, it can take between a few days and several weeks before you are able to do tasks like laundry, cleaning, cooking and grocery shopping again.

Keep taking all your usual medications unless your health-care team tells you otherwise. If you have any concerns about your health after surgery, please contact your health-care provider.