Should I have surgery when my cancer is in the advanced stage? There is more than one determining factor

Cancer is a disease that everyone fears, especially in the late stages of cancer, when the cure rate is extremely low or even incurable, so many patients or their families will simply give up treatment. However, some patients or their families believe that although the cure rate of late-stage cancer is not high, persistence in treatment can prolong survival. So, should patients with late-stage cancer continue with surgical treatment?

Can surgery be performed in the late stages of cancer?

When cancer develops to the late stage, cancer cells will generally metastasize. At this time, doctors will consult with the patient's family to choose the most suitable treatment plan for the patient. If the patient has severe cancer cell metastasis, palliative surgery will be considered, that is, partial tumor removal or symptom relief for patients with advanced cancer who cannot undergo radical surgery, in order to relieve the patient's pain. However, whether patients with advanced cancer can undergo surgery still needs to be considered from many aspects.

1. Can surgery solve the current problem?

The cure rate for most advanced cancers is low and the means of cure are limited. If surgical treatment is to be performed, it is necessary to consider whether the surgery can solve the current problem, that is, whether surgical treatment is the only option for patients with advanced cancer, whether the symptoms of patients with advanced cancer can be alleviated and the quality of life can be improved through surgical treatment. If surgical treatment does not help alleviate the condition, then there is no need for surgery.

2. Do the surgical results meet the expectations of the patient and family?

The purpose of palliative surgical treatment is to meet the treatment expectations of the patient or family with minimal risk, so before the operation, it is necessary to analyze whether the surgical effect meets the expectations of the patient and family.

3. What are the risks of surgery? Can the patient and family accept it?

In fact, any surgery has risks, especially for patients with advanced cancer whose cancer cells have already metastasized. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully analyze the complications that surgery may bring, whether it will stimulate cancer cells and cause cancer recurrence, whether the surgical trauma requires long-term hospitalization, etc. In addition, it is necessary to communicate clearly with the patient and family members before the operation to confirm that the patient and family members are aware of the risks of the operation and are willing and able to bear the risks of the operation.