Surgical Oncology Department provides top-quality surgical solutions on a par with any major cancer care centre in the world. This is often the first treatment for cancer. The surgery basically involves removing the tumour and tissues damaged by cancer. At MVRCCRI, a team of specialist surgeons works to support patients. We have a world-class fully integrated operation theatre complex with 8 operations theatres and a high-end cath lab. We are the first stand-alone cancer centre in Kerala to introduce Robotic surgery in the near future.
Generally speaking, surgery is indicated in the treatment of most tumours. It is usually the first phase of treatment but is sometimes preceded and/or followed by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Cancer surgery naturally involves removing the tumour as precisely as possible. But it is also usually complemented by a lymph-node dissection: the surgeon removes as much as possible of the lymph nodes which drain the tumour and are therefore liable to be affected in their turn. For breast cancer, the sentinel lymph node technique allows a single lymph node to be removed. If it appears healthy, the others will be preserved, whereas if it is affected, the lymph node chain will be removed. These operations are usually practised under the same anaesthetic. The analysis of these lymph nodes will also help decide upon the follow-up to the surgical intervention (chemotherapy, radiotherapy etc.).
MVRCCRI has specialist surgeons for various types of cancers: