Cancer surgery is an operation where doctors remove cancer from your child's body. The surgeon works to take out as much of the cancer as possible to help stop it from spreading. We use different tools depending on where the cancer is and how much has grown and spread.

Sometimes, we use surgery as the first treatment. Other times, we do surgery along with or after other cancer care. After surgery, your child may still need other treatments. These help make sure all of the cancer is gone and to help keep it from coming back.

During surgery, we carefully remove the tumor, leaving as much healthy tissue as possible. If needed, we may take out nearby lymph nodes or other tissues that might have cancer. We do some cancer surgeries through small cuts. Others may require larger cuts to reach the cancer.

Cancer surgery is a key part of cancer care. Even if we can't remove all the cancer cells, it can help reduce symptoms and make other types of cancer treatment work better.

At Children's Wisconsin, we choose a type of surgery based on your child's cancer. We consider the location and type of cancer, as well as your child’s general health.

Less Invasive Cancer Surgeries

These operations use small incisions and special tools, like cameras and robots. Your child can recover faster with less pain and scarring.

Less invasive surgery is often as effective and has fewer risks than open surgeries. It's not always an option. But if it is, your surgeon may use some of these tools and techniques:

• Robot-assisted surgery: The surgeon uses robotic tools to remove tumors with high precision. We use it for abdominal or pelvic cancers in children.
• Laparoscopic surgery: The surgeon makes small cuts and uses a camera to guide their tiny tools. We use it for tumors in the abdomen, chest or pelvis.
• Less invasive neurosurgery: We use this type of surgery for brain or spinal cord tumors. It uses small cuts and special tiny tools. The surgeon removes the brain tumor with less damage to nearby tissue.
• Stereotactic laser ablation: We offer Visualase laser treatment for brain tumors. This advanced treatment delivers focused energy to damage the tumor. It's another option for parts of the brain that traditional surgery can't access.

Traditional "Open" Surgery

We may use traditional surgery when less invasive techniques aren't an option. These surgeries allow for a direct approach. We may use them to treat cancers in critical areas, such as the brain, chest or abdomen.

• Tumor removal: To treat cancers like solid tumors and soft tissue cancers, we operate to remove the primary growth. It's often the first step in treating cancer and helps prevent it from spreading.
• Brain tumor surgery: This procedure involves removing tumors from the brain. Neurosurgeons carefully work to take out the tumor while protecting crucial brain areas.
• Limb-sparing surgery: The surgeon removes the tumor from the bone or soft tissue while saving the limb. This surgery allows children to keep the use of their arms, legs or other body parts. It's not always an option.
• Amputation: Sometimes limb-sparing surgery is not possible or not the right choice for your child's treatment. Amputation is the removal of a limb. Follow up care with our prosthesis team helps prioritize regaining function.
• Thoracic surgery: This is surgery to remove tumors from the chest, such as those in the lungs or heart. Our goal is to preserve as much function as possible in the chest area.
• Abdominal surgery: The surgeon removes tumors from organs like the liver, kidneys or intestines. It helps prevent cancer from spreading to other parts of the body.
• Head and neck surgery: This surgery removes tumors in the head or neck area, including the throat, mouth and neck. It helps stop cancer from spreading.
• Spine surgery: The surgeon removes tumors from the spine. It can relieve pain and prevent nerve damage.
• Reconstructive surgery: After cancer care, like surgery or radiation, you may need reconstructive surgery. These operations rebuild body parts to help restore their look and function.
• Transplant surgery: We may do a transplant if cancer severely damages the liver or kidneys. Our surgeons remove the damaged organ and replace it with a healthy one from a donor.
• Enucleation: In some cases of retinoblastoma, we may need to remove the eye. Taking it out stops the cancer from spreading. Surgery to remove the eye is enucleation.

Combined Cancer Care Procedures

Sometimes, cancer doctors combine surgeries with other treatments, such as chemotherapy. This can make both treatments more effective. They allow for a more targeted approach to cancer care, giving your child the best chance for recovery.

In some cases, we use chemotherapy or radiation before finishing the surgery. This helps to kill leftover cancer cells. The addition of these treatments helps lower the risk of the cancer coming back. We often use it for cancers like sarcomas and brain tumors.

Choosing cancer surgery for your child depends on several factors. We'll look at the:

• Type of cancer
• Size and location of the tumor
• Whether the cancer has spread
• Your child's overall health and if they can handle surgery

We'll review all these factors with you and discuss the best treatment options for your child. Surgery is often the best option if the tumor is in one area and hasn't spread.

We often use cancer surgery for:

• Germ cell tumors
• Kidney tumors
• Liver tumors
• Neuroblastoma
• Neurofibromas
• Sarcomas
• Teratomas
• Thyroid cancer

Sometimes, your child's cancer care plan will include both surgery and other cancer care, like chemotherapy or radiation. This gives your child the best chance for recovery. Our goal is to provide the safest and most effective care for your child.

Surgery might not always be the right choice for every child. We will talk through all the options with you and explain the risks and benefits of surgery. Your child's comfort and safety are our top priority in making this decision. But your desires and needs matter, too.