What are the different aspects of surgical treatment for cancer?
Resection of primary tumors
Resection of premalignant lesions
Anatomy and extent of resection
Laparoscopic and assisted laparoscopic surgeries
Metastasis and recurrent disease
Palliative surgery
The surgical resection of solid tumors provides excellent local control and is currently the only curative option for most solid tumors.
The presence or absence of metastatic involvement in the sentinel lymph node predicts the state of the entire regional lymphatic drainage basin.
The advantages of sentinel lymph node biopsy include selective lymph node dissections in patients who would benefit most, avoiding morbidity associated with lymph node removal in patients with low risk of disease, and the possibility of performing immunohistochemical stains or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect micrometastatic involvement.
The disadvantages of sentinel lymph node biopsy are related to the skill and experience of the surgeon, which can lead to a significant rate of false negatives.
The extent of resection depends on the affected organ and the method of local spread.
Palliative surgery can significantly improve quality of life and relieve symptoms, allowing patients to resume as many normal daily activities as possible.