Final answer:
Surgical removal is a key treatment for cancer, aiming to completely remove localized tumors, potentially curing the cancer or prolonging survival. Used with chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy, surgery's success often depends on early detection and the disease's stage at diagnosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Surgical removal is one of the primary treatment methods for treating cancers, particularly isolated, solid tumors. This approach often aims to completely excise the tumor and may also involve the removal of nearby lymph nodes. The goal of surgery for cancer treatment is to either cure the disease when it is localized or to reduce symptoms and prolong survival when complete cure is not possible. Surgery can be complemented with other treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy depending on the type, location, and stage of the cancer.
For example, in the treatment of testicular cancer, which boasts one of the highest cure rates, the initial approach is usually the surgical removal of the affected testis, with additional therapies used as needed. Similarly, treatment for cervical cancer may include surgery to remove the tumor, with success highly dependent on early detection. In addition to direct treatment, a biopsy can be performed through surgical removal of tissue for laboratory analysis to diagnose cancer.