Surgery is often used to remove all or part of the tumor. The tumor, along with a margin of normal tissue around it, is removed when possible. In the past, if the tumor involved the arm or leg, amputation was many times the best choice, but with new limb sparing procedures, amputation can often be avoided. For tumors that are in the abdomen, surgery can be complicated if the cancer is affecting vital organs.
Surgery is also used to remove tumors that have spread (metastasized). While surgery cannot cure the cancer, removal of tumors that have spread to the lungs can sometimes help in long term survival especially if there is no other evidence of the cancer.
