What Is a Cancer Surgeon?

What Is a Cancer Surgeon?

Anton Bilchik MD is one of the nation’s leading cancer surgeons. He practices a branch of medicine known as surgical oncology, which focuses on surgical procedures that manage cancer. Cancer surgeons have extensive training after medical school to gain the skills they need to operate on cancer patients.

A cancer surgeon is part of team of doctors that care for cancer patients. Cancer treatment usually involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Sometimes Anton Bilchik MD performs invasive procedures that require him to cut into the patient’s body. He also performs non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures that do not require such an extensive incision. Advances in medical technology, led by cancer surgeons like Dr Bilchik, reduce the need for invasive procedures.

The American Cancer Society says that surgery “offers the greatest chance for cure for many types of cancer, especially those that have not spread to other parts of the body. Most people with cancer will have some type of surgery.”

Surgery plays several roles in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Surgery helps doctors understand whether a cancer has spread and, if so, how far. Medical professionals refer to this process as “staging.”

A doctor performs preventative surgery, sometimes called prophylactic surgery, to remove tissue that is likely to become cancerous. For example, Dr Bilchik may remove a precancerous polyp from a patient’s colon during a colonoscopy. He might perform diagnostic surgery known as a biopsy to remove a suspicious piece of tissue to send for laboratory testing.

Whenever possible, Anton Bilchik performs curative surgery to remove cancer altogether. Sometimes the affected tissue is too important to remove, so he removes as much as he can during debulking surgery. He provides palliative surgery to make terminal patients more comfortable.

Cancer surgeons save countless lives each year. You can count on Anton Bilchik MD and other cancer surgeons to provide you with the best care possible.