Oncology

Pediatric Hematology & Oncology
Pediatric oncology is a branch of medical science that deals with the cancer treatment surgery in children and incorporates all the three primary oncology disciplines in the care of their young patients. The specialists in this field require a special subset of skills because children with cancer have unique problems, which require special pediatric care across the entire spectrum of treatment.

Oncology is concerned with
Surgical oncology is the branch of medical science that deals with the surgical aspects of cancer including biopsy, staging and surgical resection of tumors.

Brain Tumor Surgery
Brain tumor may occur as a result of abnormal growth of cells in the brain tissue, skull, supportive tissue around the brain, cranial nerves, or the pituitary or pineal gland. These are two types of brain tumors - Primary tumors & Secondary tumors. Primary tumors are those, which develop in the brain, while secondary brain tumors originate somewhere else in the body and spread to the brain.

Primary tumors can be malignant or nonmalignant. Malignant is high-grade tumor that contains cancer cells and grows rapidly invading the healthy tissue around them. Eventually, a malignant tumor will crowd out or destroy the normal cells and is life threatening.

Nonmalignant is a low-grade tumor that may also invade surrounding tissue, or coexist with normal cells. These can cause severe neurologic impairment, including seizures, behavioral changes and memory loss, and can interfere with normal, vital brain functions.

Treatment for a brain tumor depends on the type, size and location of the tumor, as well as your age and health condition. Generally the treatment of brain tumor is a complex process and so a team of doctors often treat them. This may include:

Initial treatment of the brain tumor includes steroid medications to reduce inflammation and swelling of brain tissue. Anticonvulsant medications also help in preventing or controlling seizures.

If the tumor has lead to a buildup of fluid in your brain, your surgeon may surgically insert a shunt. A shunt is a long, thin tube, which is placed in your brain and then threaded under the skin to another part of body, usually the abdomen. The tube allows the excess fluid to be removed from the brain.

All types of brain tumors can be removed microscopically. The different types of brain tumors that are operated are: Meningiomas, Pituitary Tumours, Craniopharyngioma, Glioma, Hemangioblastomaependymoma, Acoustic Tumours, Trigeminal Neuromas, Base of Skull Tumours, Skull Tumours, Orbital Tumors, Intraventricular Tumours and more.

Surgery
Surgery is the procedure of choice for the treatment of brain tumors. The procedure involves removing as much of the tumor as possible so as to minimize the damage to healthy tissue. It is possible to remove some tumors completely, while some others can be removed only partially or not at all. If a tumor is growing slow, doctors may not operate it immediately, but take a watch-and-wait approach.

The purpose of surgery is:

Biopsy alone can be performed in case, the tumor is inoperable or when surgery can be delayed. Resection (surgical removal of a tumor) is the treatment of choice whenever possible.

Reconstruction Post Cancer Surgery
Cancer patients face various physical and mental challenges in order to cope with their disease. The stress is compounded for individuals who require major disfiguring tumor resection. Today, however, with advances in micro vascular techniques and osseiontegrated implants for facial prosthetic reconstruction, the patient can return to a normal and healthy lifestyle. These procedures not only provide skin coverage, but also restore function to facilitate speech, eating, and swallowing.

Head and neck reconstruction after cancer surgery
Patients, who undergo surgery for head and neck cancer with major flap reconstruction, can benefit from the preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis. The different options for head and neck reconstruction after cancer surgery include primary closure with skin graft, local flap, pedicle flap and free flap.

In many cases reconstruction surgery can be done at the time of cancer removal. With large and complicated cancers, the surgery can be delayed until the pathologist examines the tumor to ensure that it has been completely removed.

Head and neck surgery, especially ablative cancer surgery with major flap reconstruction is a potentially contaminated iatrogenic wound, and hence the use of preoperative, perioperative and postoperative chemoprophylaxis for infection is mandatory.

Breast and nipple reconstruction after cancer surgery
For the patients of mastectomy, the absence of a breast serves as a relentless reminder of their disease and surgery. and disease. Each and everyday, for the rest of their lives, these women carry a memory that does not fade. The procedure is not simply a scare-it is an amputation.

With advances in reconstructive surgical options and procedures, the treatment has become successful and is closely matching the needs of the patient. A technique, which is known as TRAM flap breast reconstruction procedure is used that involves the use of abdominal skin and muscles to form a new breast. There are some other options, including autologous tissue replacement, implants, and tissue expanders followed by breast implants.

These methods can be used immediately after the mastectomy or anytime thereafter

Skull base cancer surgery and reconstruction
The skull base cancer arises from cognitive tissues such as muscle or bone. The reconstruction procedure depends on the severity, size and location of the cancer. The various options that are available for reconstruction in this case, include - simple closure, skin graft, local flap and pedicle flap.