Surgical oncology in the interplay of surgical and nonsurgical disciplines

Advances in surgical tumor therapy are founded on a very close interaction between different surgical subspecialties as well as the inclusion of surgical into modern multimodality treatment concepts. The ongoing development of surgical techniques, e.g. microsurgical flap transfers or pouch reconstructions of intestinal reservoirs, has increasingly enabled organ- and function-preserving surgery. In addition, new materials (e.g. modular tumor endoprosthesis) has supported this development. The broad application of the sentinel node technique in melanoma and breast cancer and also in gastrointestinal tract cancers opens new concepts of diagnosis and therapy for lymphatic metastasized tumors. Locally advanced tumors can be treated in neoadjuvant protocols to increase the resectability rate and the probability for local control as a prerequisite for long-term survival. Especially for metastatic disease, interventional treatment techniques such as laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) or photodynamic therapy have added valuable options to surgical treatment.