Resection — Surgical Removal of a Tumour

In surgical oncology, a resection involves the physical excision of malignant tissue from the body along with an intentional boundary of healthy surrounding tissue. The primary clinical objective is to achieve clear margins, ensuring that no viable tumour cells remain at the edge of the surgical site.

Resections vary in scope and terminology based on the anatomical site and the extent of tissue removed. For example, a partial resection involves removing only the diseased portion of an organ, whereas a total resection removes the entire organ. Procedures may be classified as curative—aimed at total disease eradication—or palliative, designed to alleviate distressing symptoms such as bowel obstruction, pain, or internal haemorrhage.

Surgical resection is often the cornerstone of curative treatment plans. The success of a resection directly impacts your prognosis, your recovery timeline, and the necessity of follow-up treatments. After the tissue is removed, pathologists examine it under a microscope to confirm its size, aggressive features, and whether any cancer cells touch the outer edges. This information helps your oncology team determine whether further therapies, such as radiation or chemotherapy, are required to lower the chance of the cancer returning.

Before a resection, high-resolution imaging—such as CT, MRI, or PET scans—is utilised to determine whether a tumour is technically resectable without damaging critical blood vessels or organs. Following the procedure, the resected specimen undergoes comprehensive histopathological evaluation. Pathologists perform microscopic margin assessments, assess lymph node involvement, and test tissue for key biomarkers (such as HER2, ER/PR, or KRAS mutations) that guide subsequent systemic care.

Resection is standard practice across many solid malignancies. Common examples include mastectomy or lumpectomy in breast cancer, colectomy in colorectal cancer, lobectomy in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer, and partial or radical nephrectomy in renal cell carcinoma. It is also central to the management of localised melanoma, stomach cancer, thyroid carcinoma, and primary brain tumours.

Resection rarely exists in isolation. It may be preceded by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy to downsize the tumour and make surgical removal safer. Following surgery, adjuvant therapies are often prescribed if microscopic disease risk remains high. Conversely, if a tumour is deemed unresectable due to extensive local invasion or widespread metastasis, non-surgical systemic therapies take precedence.