The knife

Around 60% of all cancer patients have surgery as part of their treatment. In surgery the cancer tumors are cut out, and in some cases the entire cancer-infected organ is removed. Oftentimes lymph nodes near the cancer are cut out as well, as they might have taken in cancer cells, which can sometimes tear loose from the tumor.

Surgery is one of the most common forms of cancer treatment. However, cancer treatment often combines two or three of the 3 big ones – surgery, chemo and radiation. The tendency right now is to go with smaller surgical procedures, and then follow up with radiation to kill any remnants of the disease. If the cancer has spread to other areas of the body it is common to administer both chemo and radiation in conjunction with surgery.

In some cases, surgery is also used to lessen pain. Surgery might for example be used to ease passage through the intestines if a patient has suffered from bowel cancer. Or it can be used for cosmetic reasons or to restore bodily functions that might have been lost. 
The specific kind of treatment varies depending on the given kind of cancer.
You can read more about the different types of treatments at www.cancer.dk