Surgery

Surgery is the most common technique used to treat cancer in dogs and cats. Its aim is to control or eliminate the local tumour in order to improve the patient's quality of life.

In most cases, the aim of surgery is to increase the survival time of patients (at best cure them) with or without additional chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Surgery is then said to be "curative".

In some cases, surgery is only "palliative". In this case, it will not extend the patient's survival time, but it will improve his or her quality of life, particularly by eliminating pain. Examples of palliative surgery are the removal of a bleeding or infected mass, or an amputation of a limb to eliminate pain from a bone tumour.

Although some surgeries are impressive (e.g. amputation, mandibulectomy/maxillectomy), they do not affect your pet's enjoyment of life.

Expertise in oncology surgery is essential to ensure that the tumour is completely removed during the first operation. In order to do this, the surgeon must have a clear idea of the size and nature of the tumour, in order to determine the extent of the intervention required and the prognosis for life. A pre-operative discussion is therefore necessary between surgeons, oncologists and imagers to propose the best individualised treatment plan.

After the operation, a pathologist will determine under the microscope whether the entire tumour has been removed, so that a decision can be made as to whether further treatment is necessary (chemotherapy or radiotherapy). This step is essential for optimal treatment.