Surgical Oncology

• Deciding About Breast Reconstruction

  Compare the pros and cons of having breast reconstruction.

• Thyroidectomy: Before Surgery

  Find out what to expect and how to prepare for a thyroidectomy.

• Lung Surgery: Returning Home

  Learn how you'll feel after lung surgery and how to take care of yourself at home.

• Thyroidectomy: Returning Home

  Find out how you'll feel after a thyroidectomy and how to take care of yourself at home.

• Lung Surgery: Before Your Surgery

  Learn how lung surgery is done and what you can do to prepare.

• Ileostomy

  Learn what it's like to have an ileostomy procedure.

• Thinking About Bilateral Mastectomy for Early-Stage Breast Cancer

  For years, studies have shown that for early-stage breast cancer, women who have breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy) followed by radiation treatments live just as long as women who have mastectomy. This was good news for women who wanted to avoid...

• Colon Cancer: Screening Tests and What the Results Mean

  Learn what tests are used to check for colon cancer (colorectal cancer) and what the results may mean.

• Lumpectomy

  Learn what a lumpectomy is and how it is done.

• Lumpectomy: Returning Home

  Learn how to take care of yourself at home after having a lumpectomy.

• Mastectomy

  Learn what a mastectomy is and how it is done.

• Mastectomy: Returning Home

  Learn how to take care of yourself at home after having a mastectomy.

• Shoulder and Arm Exercises After Breast Surgery

  Learn exercises to reduce stiffness and soreness and get your shoulder and arm back to normal.

• Bowel Resection

  Learn what to expect during bowel resection surgery.

• Colostomy

  Learn how a colostomy is done and what to expect after surgery.

• Whipple Surgery for Pancreatic Cancer

  Looks at a type of surgery that removes cancer from the pancreas. Covers why surgery is done and how well it works. Also covers risks.

• Exercises After Mastectomy

  After breast surgery (mastectomy), you may feel some pain going down your arm. Your shoulder and arm may be stiff and hard to move. You may also have some loss of feeling there. The basic exercises described here will help you start moving your arm....

• Colorectal Cancer: Which Screening Test Should I Have?

  Guides you through choosing a test to check for colorectal cancer. Looks at symptoms of colorectal cancer. Covers stool tests, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, and virtual colonoscopy. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.

• Colorectal Cancer Screening

  Screening tests for colorectal (colon) cancer Screening tests for colorectal cancer look for signs of cancer before you have symptoms. Screening tests for colorectal cancer include: Stool tests that can be done at home. They include: FIT (fecal immunochemical test). This test checks for signs of blood...

• Breastfeeding After Breast Surgery

  Women who have had breast implants or surgery to remove cysts or benign (noncancerous) lumps usually are able to breastfeed. Women who have had surgery to make their breasts smaller (breast reduction) may have trouble breastfeeding if the milk ducts...

• Colorectal Cancer

  Discusses testing and diagnosis of colorectal cancer. Covers polyps, small growths inside the colon or rectum. Includes when screening tests such as colonoscopy should be done. Discusses treatment with surgery and chemotherapy. Offers prevention tips.

• Stool Tests for Colorectal Cancer

  A stool test is one of many tests used to look for colorectal cancer. These tests may find cancer early, when treatment works better. Colorectal cancer affects the large intestine ( colon) and the rectum. Stool tests include: Fecal immunochemical test and stool DNA (FIT-DNA). Fecal occult blood test...

• Bowel Resection

  Discusses surgical treatment of digestive system problems by removing diseased or damaged part of the colon (bowel resection). Includes laparoscopic surgery. Covers what to expect after surgery. Discusses risks.

• COPD: Lung Volume Reduction Surgery

  In lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), a large area of damaged lung is removed to allow the remaining lung tissue to expand when you breathe in. This surgery is done only for people with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or with...

• Colon Cancer Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI]

  Colon cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the colon. The colon is part of the body's digestive system. The digestive system removes and processes nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water) from foods and helps pass waste material out of the...

• Rectal Cancer Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI]

  Rectal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the rectum. The rectum is part of the body's digestive system. The digestive system takes in nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water) from foods and helps pass waste material out of the body. The...

• Colorectal Cancer Prevention (PDQ®): Prevention - Patient Information [NCI]

  Cancer prevention is action taken to lower the chance of getting cancer. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer in a group or population is lowered. Hopefully, this will lower the number of deaths caused by cancer. To prevent new cancers from starting, scientists look at risk factors and protective...

• Colorectal Cancer Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI]

  Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread. Scientists are trying to better understand which people are more likely to...

• Thyroid Cancer Treatment (Adult) (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI]

  Thyroid cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a gland at the base of the throat near the trachea (windpipe). It is shaped like a butterfly, with a right lobe and a left lobe. The isthmus, a thin piece of tissue, connects the two lobes. A healthy...

• Childhood Thyroid Cancer Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI]

  Thyroid cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is a gland at the base of the throat near the trachea (windpipe). It is shaped like a butterfly, with a right lobe and a left lobe. The isthmus is a thin piece of tissue that connects the two lobes. It...

• Thyroid Cancer Screening (PDQ®): Screening - Patient Information [NCI]

  Screening is looking for cancer before a person has any symptoms. This can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread. Scientists are trying to better understand which people are more likely to...

• Childhood Colorectal Cancer Treatment (PDQ®): Treatment - Patient Information [NCI]

  Colorectal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the colon or the rectum. The colon is part of the body's digestive system. The digestive system removes and processes nutrients (vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water) from foods and helps pass waste...

• Breast Cancer: Should I Have Breast Reconstruction After a Mastectomy?

  Guides through decision to have breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. Describes what options are available for breast reconstruction and how it is done. Covers benefits and risks. Includes an interactive tool to help you make your decision.

• Thyroid Surgery

  Thyroid surgery is used to treat thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, and hyperthyroidism. During this procedure, part or all of the thyroid gland is removed. During surgery, an incision is made in the skin. The muscle and other tissues are pulled aside to expose the thyroid gland.

• Breast Cancer: Should I Have Breast-Conserving Surgery or a Mastectomy?

  Guides you through decision about which surgery to have for early-stage breast cancer. Lists benefits and risks of both mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.

• Colorectal Cancer, Metastatic or Recurrent

  Discusses colon and rectal cancers that return after treatment or that spread to other parts of the body. Looks at symptoms. Discusses treatment with surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

• Liver Resection

  Liver resection is the surgical removal of part of the liver. This operation is for some types of liver cancer and for certain cases of metastatic colorectal cancer. Up to half of your liver can be removed as long as the rest is healthy. During a liver resection, the part of your liver that contains cancer is removed...

• Thyroid Cancer

  Discusses causes and symptoms of thyroid cancer. Covers factors that increase risk, including exposure to radiation. Discusses diagnosis and treatment with surgery, radioactive iodine, and thyroid hormone therapy.

• Types of Thyroid Cancer

  There are different types of thyroid cancer. They are based on what the cells look like under a microscope. Your treatment will depend on which type of thyroid cancer you have. Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). This is the most common type of thyroid cancer. PTC starts in cells called follicular cells and...

• Lung Surgery for Lung Cancer

  Looks at lung surgery (called thoracotomy) to treat lung cancer. Covers how it is done and what to expect after surgery. Covers its risks and how well it works. Offers illustrations on three types of surgery: wedge resection, lobectomy, and pneumonectomy.

• Colon Cancer Genetic Testing

  Discusses blood test that can tell you if you carry rare changed genes that can cause colon cancer, also called colorectal cancer. Covers familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Looks at colonoscopy screening. Discusses risks. Includes genetic counseling.

• Bowel Resection for Colorectal Cancer

  Resection is another name for any operation that removes tissue or part of an organ. Bowel resection for colorectal cancer, also called partial colectomy, removes the tumor. To make sure that only healthy tissue is left, the doctor removes a small amount of colon or rectum tissue on both sides of the tumor. The goal of...

• Colostomy for Colorectal Cancer

  After a surgeon has removed the diseased part of your bowel during an operation called a bowel resection, he or she will then sew the two healthy ends of your bowel back together. Sometimes the bowel tissue needs more time to heal before the reattachment, so a temporary colostomy is needed. Sometimes the entire lower...

• Breast-Conserving Surgery for Breast Cancer

  Discusses lumpectomy and partial mastectomy, two types of breast-conserving surgery. Covers what is done and what to expect after surgery, including having radiation therapy. Also looks at risks.

• Mastectomy (Removal of the Breast) for Breast Cancer

  Discusses breast cancer surgery. Covers simple mastectomy, modified mastectomy, and radical mastectomy. Also discusses preventive mastectomy. Covers what to expect after surgery. Looks at risks. Links to info on breast reconstruction.

• Breast Cancer: What Should I Do if I'm at High Risk?

  Guides you through testing and treatment choices if you're at high risk for breast cancer. Covers extra checkups, medicines, and surgery. Lists reasons for and against for each option. Includes interactive tool to help you make your decision.