Adapted for the Canadian edition by David McCready, MD
If you have cancer, there is a very good chance that you will see a surgeon during the course of your treatment. Surgery plays a crucial role in treating the disease. It is the oldest form of treatment and also the most effective. More cures are achieved by surgery than by any other form of therapy.
Surgery's role in cancer treatment has expanded considerably over the past few years. Better understanding of the natural history of many tumors, safer anesthetic techniques and improved preoperative and postoperative care have led to better immediate and long-term survival rates. Surgeons can now also plan operations more effectively because a tumor's size and location can be determined more precisely with modern imaging techniques.
