Is Chemotheraphy Necessary Before Oncological Surgery?

Deciding whether or not to start chemotherapy treatment before surgery in cancer patients depends on the patient's condition.

In today’s medicine, the ideal way is the multidisciplinary team evaluating cancer patients. It will be the correct approach to determine the patients who will receive chemotherapy with the decision of this team. Team members usually include surgeons, oncologists, gastroenterologists, radiologists, and nuclear medicine doctors.

In some types of cancer, For example, in distal rectal cancer, chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be required first, or in cancers that are widespread in the abdomen or invading adjacent organs, it may be preferred to start with chemotherapy and then surgery after shrinking the tumors. The multidisciplinary council members make all these decisions according to whichever is important for the patient's benefit.

Unfortunately, most cancer has the potential for recurrence. Even if we obliterate the tumorous tissues by surgery, these patients should pay attention to their periodic controls by the surgeon and oncologist. It may recur one day. The key factor here is to detect these lesions early and to perform the necessary oncological and surgical interventions, even when they recur.