Cancer Surgery

At Henry Ford Health, our experts use a variety of factors to determine which surgical treatment option is best for your case. They consider:

• What is safer
• What will have the best outcome
• Tumor size and location
• How much the cancer has spread (and where it has spread)
• Previous procedures
• And more

Open surgery is the historical go-to method and is still used and effective for some cases. Your surgical oncologist may choose to perform open surgery to have better precision, visibility and/or access to the affected area. This is common for:

• The most complex cancer cases
• Revisional second and third surgeries
• Surgeries that include reconstruction

Our surgeons use minimally invasive techniques whenever possible. Benefits for patients include:

• Less bleeding and pain
• Quicker recovery
• Fewer scars

We also can offer some patients minimally invasive surgery when doctors have told them traditional surgery is too risky. Patients with some advanced cancers, older patients or those with other serious health conditions may be good candidates for minimally invasive surgery.

Traditional surgery

Traditional/open surgery is what patients are typically most familiar with. It is performed by opening the body with large incisions.

Minimally invasive surgery

Minimally invasive surgery technique uses small incisions (or sometimes none).

Minimally invasive cancer surgeries involve both laparoscopic and/or robotic surgery; often chosen based on what is safest for the patient while driving the best oncologic outcomes.

Our options include:

• Robot-assisted surgery
• Multi- or single-port laparoscopic surgery
• Image guided surgery, such as interventional radiology using X-rays and CT scans
• Catheter- or scope-based surgery
• Laser surgery

Our surgical cancer experts are continuing to advance the ways cancer is treated. We are proud to be the first cancer center in Michigan to provide these latest innovations in surgical cancer care:

Photodynamic therapy (also called laser light therapy or laser surgery)

Photodynamic therapy administers medication through an IV that makes tumors more sensitive to light. After one to three days, a laser is used to activate the medication.

Results:

• Tumors break down over time
• Minimal damage to normal cells

More to know:

• The body may be sensitive to light following the procedure.
• It’s recommended to wear sunglasses and limit sun exposure for up to 4 weeks.
• This treatment is often combined with another cancer surgery.

We provide this surgical treatment for the following cancers:

• Advanced esophageal cancer
• Bladder cancer
• Brain tumors
• Eye cancer
• Head and neck cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Superficial and advanced lung cancer
• Upper aerodigestive (digestive and lung) cancers
• Women’s cancers

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a two-pronged approach for treating metastatic abdominal cancers. Visible cancer cells are surgically removed, and then heated chemotherapy is administered to destroy microscopic cells.

We have the largest, nationally recognized HIPEC program in Michigan. Learn more about HIPEC at Henry Ford Health.

Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosolized chemotherapy (PIPAC)

Pressurized intraperitoneal aerosolized chemotherapy (PIPAC) is a minimally invasive surgery for late-stage abdominal cancer that delivers chemotherapy through a nebulizer, a device that uses high pressure to turn chemotherapy into a mist.

We are one of only a few cancer centers across the country who offer this treatment. Learn more about PIPAC at Henry Ford Health.