Is it true that cancer can spread if you are opened up and operated on?!

Is it true that cancer can spread if you are opened up and operated on?

I have heard from many that if you have cancer and are then operated on it will spread. Is this a true statement or is it a myth floating around? I've heard this since my grandfather was diagnosed with colon cancer 15 years ago. Hope to hear some educated insight into this. Thanks

No. There is no truth to this. It is a myth. People are operated on for cancer all the time. (whenever I hear people say this it reminds me of people who are afraid to fly in an airplane because they are sure they are going to crash ). In fact the only true way of totally eliminating many cancers is through surgical resection.

What you may be confused about is that some types of tumors . . not all of them . . but some types should not be sliced into because they can spill microscopic cancer cells back into the body. This isn't always the case and the majority of surgical oncologist are skilled enough to know what they are doing. The problems come about when a general surgeon who is not familiar with cancer trys to extract a malignancy and does not use due care. What can happen is that a non oncological surgeon leaves part of the tumor behind or does not get 'good margins' around the tumor. People who have tumors that is suspected of being cancer should only be operated on by a oncological surgeon.

Other issues with surgery, in general, that may lead some people to think that cancer 'spreads' when opened up . . is that diagnostic images like x-ray, CT, or PET rarely give a clear picture about how much cancer might be present. The only way to tell for certain how much cancer has 'spread' once it has metastasized is through surgery . . so they can actually see what is in the body. Many times the cancer has already spread and there is very little a surgeon can do at that point. Tumors may be wrapped around or infiltrating major arteries or organs and surgery would only make matters worse for the patient rather than better.

When a surgeon attempts to remove a large tumor and cannot get clear margins, he leaves part of the malignancy behind. Unfortunately, sometimes the microscopic cancer cells can get caught in the incision or around the wound.

Cancer is a complicated disease requiring an oncological surgeon to extract tumors safely and with acceptable margins.

So, again, operating on the tumor is the best way to 'cure' cancer . . but you need someone with expertise in surgical oncology to remove it
effectively.