Surgery is a treatment to remove the cancer growth locally. The surgeon may also remove some of the surrounding tissue and lymph nodes. Recovery from surgery will depend on the size and location of the tumor and the person’s general health. Pain during the first few days after surgery can be controlled with medication. Feeling tired or weak after surgery is also a common experience that varies with each person.
Some people are concerned that exposing the cancer to air during surgery will cause the disease to spread. This is not true; exposure to air does not cause cancer to spread to other parts of the body. Surgeons also take special precaution to prevent cancer from spreading during surgery. For example, a margin of normal tissue is removed with the tumor to reduce the chance that cancer cells are in healthy tissue.
Surgery is one important part of staging the cancer. Treatment decisions are based on staging. Staging determines whether the cancer has spread and to which parts of the body. During surgery the surgeon determines the spread of cancer to nearby organs by samples of tissue.