“Will removal of a cancerous tumor cause cancer cells to spread?”
I am going to undergo surgery for a malignant abdominal tumor. Can removal of the tumor somehow cause the cancer cells to spread?
5 Answers
It is highly unlikely to cause the shedding of cells. Furthermore, even if cells are shed, it is unlikely to have any of those cells lodge somewhere else in the body.
Good luck with everything.
Good luck with everything.
By not removing the tumor, the cancer can continue to grow. As it grows, it becomes more likely that it will spread via lymphatic or hematogenous routes (by the lymph glands or the blood vessels). To make certain removal is the appropriate treatment for you, you should have a multidisciplinary team consisting of surgical oncologists, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologists working together to develop the best plan for your type of tumor.
No
Sorry to hear about your abdominal tumor. Surgery to remove a cancerous tumor will not cause it to spread otherwise we would not recommend surgery to you. The goal of all doctors is to do no harm to the patient. Good luck with your surgery.
The risk of tumour spread at the time of surgery is very low. The benefit of removing the cancer far outweighs the risk of cancerous cells spreading. Without removal of the tumour there is no potential chance for survival
