The changing role of the surgical oncologist

It is increasingly important for the surgical oncologist and surgeons to have a thorough understanding of the advantages and limitations of adjuvant systemic chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and adjuvant radiotherapy in various resectable cancers. Justification for the field of surgical oncology should include the fact that enough knowledge has been acquired about these adjunctive treatments for patients with cancer that they can be integrated into overall management. Too often in the recent past, surgeons, after the technical surgical resection, turned over the entire management of patients to the medical oncologist or the radiotherapist. Comprehensive management for surgeons and surgical oncologists should maintain their voice in management policy so that the patients can be served best by the application of adjuvant treatment or by the avoidance of adjuvant treatment, systemic or local, when it is not appropriate or significantly helpful. The overall justification for the field of surgical oncology is that the surgeon not only knows how to use medical treatments in advanced cancers, but also knows how to select minimal surgical procedures in early cancers and how to manage and direct the application of adjuvant treatments, regionally and systemically.