Cancer (Oncologic) Surgery
Cancer surgery, or surgical oncology, removes a tumor and, where needed, surrounding tissue and nearby lymph nodes to treat or help control cancer. It is often the central treatment for solid tumors and is planned by a multidisciplinary tumor board so that surgery is combined, in the right sequence, with chemotherapy, radiotherapy or other therapies for the best result.
Medically reviewed by the Florence Healthcare medical team · Last reviewed June 2026
Overview
For many solid cancers, surgery offers the best chance of removing the disease. A surgical oncologist removes the tumor together with a margin of healthy tissue to reduce the chance of cancer being left behind, and may also remove or sample nearby lymph nodes to check whether the cancer has spread, which helps determine the stage and guide further treatment.
Surgery is rarely planned in isolation. A multidisciplinary tumor board — surgical, medical and radiation oncologists with pathologists and radiologists — decides how surgery fits with other treatments. Sometimes chemotherapy or radiotherapy is given first to shrink a tumor and make surgery more effective; sometimes it follows surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence. Many operations can now be done with minimally invasive or robotic techniques, which can mean smaller incisions and a faster recovery.
International patients are supported by a coordinator with a clear plan and a transparent, itemized cost estimate before travel, including the expected stay and recovery. Because cancer care often spans more than one modality, the team explains what is best done on site and how follow-up continues; specialists can review pathology and imaging remotely for second opinions.
Who is a candidate?
- People with a solid tumor that can be removed surgically, alone or with other treatments
- Patients whose tumor board recommends surgery as part of the treatment plan
- Those who may benefit from minimally invasive or robotic tumor removal
- People needing surgery to confirm the diagnosis, stage the cancer or relieve symptoms
- Patients fit enough for the planned operation, as assessed before surgery
- People seeking a second opinion on whether surgery is appropriate and how it fits the plan
What happens
- 1
Diagnosis and staging
Biopsy, pathology and imaging confirm the cancer type and how far it has spread, which determines whether surgery is appropriate and how it fits with other treatments.
- 2
Tumor-board planning
A multidisciplinary tumor board agrees the sequence of treatment with you — for example surgery first, or chemotherapy or radiotherapy before or after surgery — for the best result.
- 3
The operation
Under general anesthesia, the surgeon removes the tumor with an appropriate margin of healthy tissue and, where indicated, nearby lymph nodes, using minimally invasive or robotic techniques where suitable.
- 4
Early recovery
Recovery is monitored in hospital and varies with the operation. The removed tissue is examined by pathology, which confirms the margins and helps guide any further treatment.
- 5
Further treatment and follow-up
Additional chemotherapy, radiotherapy or other therapy may follow the surgery. International patients receive a clear surveillance plan that can be continued at home, with remote support.
Benefits
- Can remove a tumor and offer the best chance of cure for many solid cancers
- Provides tissue for pathology to confirm diagnosis, margins and stage
- Planned by a tumor board so surgery is combined optimally with other treatments
- Minimally invasive and robotic options can mean smaller incisions and a faster recovery
- Can also relieve symptoms caused by a tumor, even when cure is not the goal
Risks & considerations
- Bleeding, infection and reaction to anesthesia, as with any major surgery
- Clots and, depending on the site, organ-specific complications
- Effects on function depending on what tissue must be removed, which the team works to limit
- A recovery period that varies with the extent of the operation
- The possibility that further treatment is needed depending on what pathology shows
Conditions this treats
Where it is performed
This procedure is delivered by our Comprehensive Oncology Center.
Learn more before you decide
Provider-reviewed guides on the related conditions, symptoms and tests in our Health Library.
Cancer (Oncologic) Surgery — frequently asked questions
No. Surgery is central for many solid tumors but not for every cancer — some are treated mainly with drug therapy or radiotherapy. A multidisciplinary tumor board decides whether and how surgery fits your specific diagnosis and stage.
Treatment given before surgery can shrink a tumor, making it easier to remove completely and sometimes allowing a smaller operation. Whether this is right for you is decided by the tumor board based on your cancer type and stage.
Yes. Where it is clinically appropriate, our surgeons use minimally invasive and robotic techniques, which can mean smaller incisions, less pain and a quicker recovery for suitable operations.
Yes. Share your pathology, imaging and reports and our specialists provide an independent opinion on whether surgery is appropriate and how it fits the overall plan, before you commit to travel.
It depends on the operation — from a day case to one or two weeks, plus follow-up and any further treatment. Your coordinator confirms the plan. We provide a transparent, itemized estimate after reviewing your case rather than a fixed online price, because every cancer operation is individual.
Related treatments
Considering cancer (oncologic) surgery?
Share your reports for a medical second opinion and a transparent, itemized cost estimate — usually within 48 hours.