The Promise of Minimally Invasive Cancer Therapy
Expertise and options are the keys to getting the right procedure
emoving liver tumors through a few small incisions in the abdomen. Operating on complex throat cancers through the mouth. Extracting lung malignancies through the ribs.
Not long ago, minimally invasive procedures like these were unimaginable. Most cancer resections involved major surgery. Today, dozens of minimally invasive therapies allow physicians to go after cancer while reducing the impact of treatment on patients. The benefits may include less pain, fewer side effects and a faster return to normal life.
“Minimally invasive therapy is where cancer care has been headed for the past decade,” said William See, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin urologic oncologist and chair of Urology. “The field has developed rapidly and is still evolving. Many techniques hold out great promise – and probably yet unrealized potential.”
Innovative Instruments
Minimally invasive surgeries are performed through one or more small incisions, often only a half inch long. (Traditional “open” surgery may require an incision of 4 inches, 8 inches or longer.) Special laparoscopic instruments inserted through these small incisions allow surgeons to view organ structures, excise tumor tissue and perform reconstructions. Some laparoscopic procedures can be performed through natural orifices such as the urethra or the vagina. In many cases, specialists
William See, MD
can use innovative catheter and needle-based tools to deliver cancer therapies. Much of the attention in minimally invasive cancer care is now focused on the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System®
.
The da Vinci system combines laparoscopic instruments with improved visualization and precise robotic movements. Robotic technology allows surgeons to operate in confined body cavities that can be difficult to reach with conventional laparoscopic equipment.
While new technology offers amazing capabilities, the skill of the surgeon is critical. “In the hands of Tiger Woods, a golf club is a fine instrument. In my hands, it’s a weapon,” Dr. See observed. “The same could be said of robotic surgical technology or any minimally invasive instrument. Patient outcomes correlate with training, experience and the number of procedures the surgeon has performed.”
A Complete Portfolio
Physicians at the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center work in multidisciplinary teams that focus on treating specific types of cancer. This allows physicians to offer patients the full range of treatment options, including minimally invasive therapies.
Special Report 2012 continued 866-680-0505 9
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