Surgery plays a very important part in the treatment of cancer. Depending on the size and position of the tumour in the body, an operation to remove it may be the first part of treatment.

Often, a biopsy of the tumour is taken first to make the diagnosis. A biopsy involves taking a piece of tissue from the tumour so it can be looked at in the laboratory (see tests).

Sometimes, an operation may be dangerous or cause too much damage because of the size and position of the tumour. In these situations, chemotherapy or radiotherapy may be given before an operation to shrink the tumour and make surgery easier.