Surgery can be used to biopsy a suspicious mass at diagnosis,
stage a disease, insert a central line, and remove or debulk a
tumor.
The more common cancers of adolescence are solid tumors. Surgery
may be used to accurately diagnose a solid tumor. A biopsy, in
which a piece of the tumor is removed and examined, will provide
some information about the cancer.
Some cancer patients undergo surgery to implant central lines
prior to chemotherapy, as well as remove a localised malignant
tumor or organ from the body. With some bone or organ cancers
removal of the tumor may require an amputation of part of a limb or
removal of an organ and tissue damaged by the cancer.
Surgery is often combined with radiation therapy and
chemotherapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells and reduce the
risk of reoccurrence.