Is cancer surgery always a big operation?

Not always. Cancer surgery can be open or minimally invasive, and the two are quite different.

In open surgery, the surgeon makes one large cut to remove the tumor, some healthy tissue, and maybe some nearby lymph nodes.

In minimally invasive surgery, the surgeon makes a few small cuts instead of one large one. They insert a long, thin tube with a tiny camera, called a laparoscope, and use special tools through the other small cuts. Because the cuts are smaller, minimally invasive surgery usually takes less time to recover from.

There are also ways to treat some cancers without scalpel cuts at all, such as cryosurgery, lasers, and other techniques. The type of surgery depends on the purpose, the part of the body, how much tissue must be removed, and sometimes what you prefer. Your surgeon can explain which approach is right for you.