Procedure

When surgery is being considered, the surgeon and the person with cancer weigh the benefits and the risks involved, before deciding to go ahead. Sometimes surgery is not done, because the person wouldn't benefit from it or because it would interfere too much with the structure and function of the area being operated on.

The three stages of a surgical procedure are:

Preparation

assessing the person to see if they are a good candidate for surgery
preparation such as blood and imaging tests
becoming informed about the surgery and signing a consent
banking blood (autologous blood donation) if appropriate

Therapy

The surgery itself may be done in a doctor's office, clinic or hospital operating room. It may be done on an outpatient basis or the person may be admitted to the hospital to stay until they recover enough to manage at home. This depends on the type of surgery done, anesthetic used and the person's health status.

Aftercare

care immediately after surgery and follow-up

References

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If you are outside Canada

We can give information about cancer care and support services in Canada only. To find a cancer organization in your country, visit Union for International Cancer Control or International Cancer Information Service Group.