Radiation after an operation is often recommended when it is either suspected or definitely known that cancer cells have been left behind. You will remember from the chapter on surgery that the chances of not being able to completely remove the cancer can be reduced by careful assessment before the operation. Postoperative radiation is more [...]

Radiation treatment is often recommended before or after surgical removal of a primary cancer. It is important that you understand what can be gained by doing this. Firstly, as I mentioned in the previous section, the addition of radiation to surgical removal of a primary cancer very rarely makes any difference to the chance of [...]

As with any treatment, you need to weigh the likely ‘benefit’ against the likely ‘cost’. These are some of the questions to which you will need answers: -What is the aim of the surgery? -What is the chance of achieving that aim? -Would there be a better chance of achieving that aim if I had [...]