Reflections on surgical operation to treat cancer after a long term follow-up survey / 解放军医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To review and reflect the development and achievement in surgical therapy for cancer in 20th century, and to inquire and foresee the objectives and tasks of the study on tumor surgery in 21st century. Methods Based on the data of a long term follow-up survey of more than 3000 cancer patients who had undertaken thoracic or abdominal operations, and also on a review, analysis, evaluation and reflection of clinical cases accumulated for 40 years, clinical experiences of both positive and negative aspects were summed up, a few new personal ideas and knowledge were raised. Results It was found that (1) Postoperative recurrence and metastases played as the key factors which affected the curative effect. Therefore therapies and procedures to control postoperative recurrence and metastases are vital in improving the curative effect. (2) Improvement on curative effect of cancer surgery can be hardly expected if no breakthrough in basic researches is made. Conclusion Experimental and clinical researches should be aimed at the radical cure of postoperative recurrence and metastases, so as to improve the surgical treatment of malignancies in the future.