Surgical Interventions in Cancer
Summary of Key Points
• The cancer surgeon is a key member of a multidisciplinary cancer care team.
• The surgeon is frequently the “entry point” for patients who are suspected of having cancer or are newly diagnosed with cancer.
• The surgeon must be prepared to communicate the results of initial biopsy pathology and staging to the patient, interpret these results in a meaningful way, and prepare the patient for the next steps in care.
• To be an effective member of the “team,” the surgeon must have knowledge of the biology and natural history of the cancer to be treated.
• The surgeon must be technically experienced in diagnostic procedures and operative interventions used in cancer management.
• The cancer surgeon must be experienced in the preoperative and postoperative care of surgical patients with complex cases.
• The surgical oncologist must have an appropriate knowledge base in medical and radiation oncology.
• Patients treated in a multimodality setting and in high-volume centers have improved outcomes.
• Training of the surgical oncologist must encompass the following:
Etiology and genetic predispositions of cancer
Environmental risk factors and natural history of specific tumors
