Many patients diagnosed with cancer will undergo surgery in conjunction with chemotherapy as part of their treatment. Surgery for cancer usually involves the removal of tumor and its surrounding tissues. The goal of the surgery varies. It may be done to diagnose cancer, remove all or some of the cancerous tumor, or to determine if cancer has spread to other areas.
There are several types of cancer surgery. There’s the curative, preventive, reconstructive, staging, palliative, and minimally invasive surgery.
Curative Surgery
The purpose of curative surgery is to remove the malignant tumor. This procedure is often recommended to localized cancers or those that haven’t spread yet to other areas. It is often followed by other types of cancer treatment such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy to make sure that cancer cells have been removed.
Preventive Surgery
As its name implies, preventive surgery is recommended to prevent cancer from occurring. An example of preventive surgery is the removal of precancerous polyps in the colon as a way of preventing colon cancer.
Reconstructive Surgery
Reconstructive surgery is recommended to patients following cancer treatment. Its purpose is to restore the body’s normal or near normal appearance and functioning.
Staging Surgery
In order to determine the extent of cancer, staging surgery is done. It can be done without incisions; an example is one using an endoscope to view the affected site and obtain a tissue sample from the area.
Palliative Surgery
Palliative surgery is not done to either cure or prevent cancer. It is recommended to alleviate the symptoms of cancer and as a result, improve the overall quality of life of a person.
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Minimally invasive cancer surgery makes use of advanced techniques that only requires small incisions to remove the tumor. Laparoscopic, laser, and microscopically controlled surgeries are examples of minimally invasive procedures.
Premier Surgical’s Oncologists
Surgical oncologists are doctors who specialize in treating cancer using surgery. Premier Surgical of Knoxville has an experienced team of board-certified surgical oncologists. These include Dr. Troy Kimsey, Dr. Paul Dudrick, and Dr. Gregory Midis.
Dr. Paul Dudrick
Dr. Dudrick is a graduate of St. Louis University. He completed his residency training at the University of Florida and his fellowship training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is a fellow of American College of Surgeons and a member of Society of Surgical Oncology. Dr. Dudrick specializes in general surgery and surgical oncology.
Dr. Troy Franklin Kimsey
Dr. Kimsey is a graduate of University of Georgia. He completed his residency training at the Medical College of Georgia and his fellowship training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He is a fellow of American College of Surgeons and a member of Society of Surgical Oncology and Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. Dr. Kimsey specializes in surgical oncology, general surgery, and thyroid surgery. He is the Medical Director of Thompson Cancer Survival Center in Knoxville.
Dr. Gregory Midis
Dr. Midis completed his medical degree at the University of Virginia. He had his residency training at the University of Maryland and completed his fellowship training at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for Surgical Oncology and The Cleveland Clinic for Colon and Rectal Surgery. You can contact Dr. Midis for your concerns regarding general surgery and surgical oncology.