Principles of Surgical Oncology

and Key Points 1. Oncology surgery includes operations to diagnose malignancy (biopsies), to remove known cancer of the primary tumor and metastases, and for palliation. 2. A fifth category of oncology surgery, reconstructive surgery, is not strictly speaking, cancer surgery, but practically all cancer operations involve some reconstruction. Frequently, plastic or vascular surgeons assist with this phase of the procedure. 3. Tumor resection with a margin of normal tissue (R0 resection) is the aim of radical cancer operations. 4. Surgical Oncology is a disease based discipline; surgical oncology fellowships prepare surgeons in the multidisciplinary approach to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of cancer patients. 5. Fellowships also prepare members of surgical subspecialties to interact with other oncologic disciplines and to provide leadership in the surgical, medical, and public health community in oncologic related matters.