Cancer Surgery

Surgery may be part of your treatment at different stages of your cancer care. It may be used for diagnosis, staging, removal, or restoration.
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Holden’s surgeons specialize in cancer surgery. Different from many hospitals, where a general surgeon also does cancer surgery, our surgeons specialize in cancer and how it affects specific parts of the body. They are able to offer the latest techniques to assure effective treatment and minimal discomfort.

Surgery for Diagnosis

Exploratory surgeries help confirm a diagnosis. Your care team may schedule a biopsy, where a surgeon will take out a small piece of tissue for further lab testing.

Surgery for Staging

The cancer surgeon will examine where exactly the cancer is located and how far it has spread. By determining how much the tissue around the cancer is affected, your surgeon can help make precise determinations on the best course of treatment.

Surgery for Removal

Usually when cancer is found in only one part of the body, a surgery can be used to remove it effectively. Sometimes chemotherapy or radiation therapy are used before or after the surgery to assure removal.

Sometimes removal of the entire tumor isn’t possible, due to involvement with healthy organs and tissues. In these cases, the surgeon will debulk the cancer, that is remove some, but not all. In these cases, radiation, chemotherapy, or other treatments may be used in combination with surgery.

Surgery for Prevention

Based on a patient’s genetic makeup, he or she may elect to remove an organ or other tissue to reduce the high risk of having a cancer there. An example would be prophylactic mastectomies, removal of one or both healthy breasts for someone with a high hereditary risk for developing breast cancer.

Surgery for Restoration

Sometime the removal of tissue where cancer is present can alter the body’s appearance. Examples of restorative surgeries include breast reconstruction, facial plastic surgery, tissue flaps, and prosthetic devices for altered limbs.

Not sure which Cancer Surgery provider is right for you?

When you call 1-319-356-4200 we'll help you find a provider who meets your needs.
Call 1-319-356-4200

Clinical Trials

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Patient Stories

Lloyd found the HIPEC cancer care he needed
April 3, 2018
When Lloyd Beckman needed a rare kind of cancer treatment known as HIPEC, he chose University of Iowa Health Care, which has the only dedicated HIPEC ...
Lloyd Beckman portrait
Washington man is back to normal after HIPEC treatment
September 27, 2017
When treatment for a tumor in his appendix required major surgery and a special type of chemotherapy treatment known as HIPEC, Dick Gallagher got the ...

Awards and Recognition

Iowa's only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Iowa. This designation recognizes our ability to offer Iowans more cancer treatment options than most U.S. cancer centers, including a vast array of clinical trials of some of the newest therapies.

An emerging body of evidence suggests that treatment at a comprehensive cancer center may offer patients better chances for long-term survival.
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