How does surgery treat cancer?

Surgery treats cancer by removing it from your body. According to the National Cancer Institute, surgery is a procedure in which a surgeon removes cancer from your body. Depending on your type of cancer and how advanced it is, surgery can be used to remove the entire tumor when the cancer is contained in one area, remove part of a tumor (called debulking) when removing all of it might damage an organ, or ease symptoms by removing tumors that are causing pain or pressure.

Surgery works best for solid tumors that are contained in one area. It is a local treatment, meaning it treats only the part of your body with the cancer. It is not used for leukemia (a type of blood cancer) or for cancers that have spread.

Sometimes surgery is the only treatment you need, but most often you will also have other cancer treatments. Your healthcare team can explain the goal of surgery in your case.