Surgical Oncology

Oncology is a medical field that diagnoses and treats cancer. With surgical oncology, we focus on using surgery to diagnose, stage, and treat cancer, as well as to help take care of certain cancer-related symptoms.

Dr Hatchuel has years of experience in performing various types of surgeries for many kinds of cancer, so you can take faith that you’re in gentle, experienced hands. He specialises in thyroid, parathyroid, breast, and bowel cancer.

He puts in the time and loves to let every patient know the details of a cancer diagnosis and what options are available for treatment. Cancer can be a scary and complex disease to understand and to cure—know there’s room for all your questions and concerns and that Dr Hatchuel will do his very best to guide you back to health and vitality.

What does surgical oncology deal with?

• Diagnosing cancer and determining its stage, location, and how it affects other organs (usually with a biopsy)
• Surgically removing the tumour along with other compromised body parts
• Surgically removing tissue that could potentially become cancerous
• Reconstructing parts of the body that are affected due to the surgery
• Relieving side-effects of cancer (palliative surgery)

How is cancer surgery performed?

The two main types of oncological surgeries are open surgery and minimally-invasive surgery. With open surgery, a large cut is made to remove all or part of a cancerous growth and some of the surrounding tissue that may be affected.

Minimally-invasive surgeries like laser surgery, laparoscopy, and cryosurgery also yield positive results.

• Laser surgery is when a surgeon uses a high-intensity light to remove a tumour.
• Cryosurgery uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and kills cancer cells.
• For a laparoscopy, Dr Hatchuel will make a few small incisions and then use a thin tube with a camera and a light attached to it to perform surgery, inserting other surgical instruments through the incisions to remove cancerous growths.

Non-surgical procedures (like radiation therapy or hormone therapy) might be necessary before or after the surgery to prevent cancer growth or recurrence.

Is surgery the right option for me?

The type, size, location, and stage of the cancer will influence whether surgery is a good option for you. Other factors play a part too, like your level of fitness, age, and other medical conditions. Please book an appointment with Dr Hatchuel to discuss how he can help you.

• Brain cancer
• Breast cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Endocrine cancer
• Gastric cancer (stomach cancer)
• Gynaecological cancers
• Lung cancer
• Melanomas and skin cancer
• Pancreatic cancer
• Sarcomas

If you’re considering a holistic approach to your cancer care, Dr Hatchuel will work with a team of health practitioners to individualise your healing, creating a dynamic treatment plan for the most practical and least invasive cancer management that’s kindest to your body and mind. He takes into consideration all components of treatment and recovery for real healing.

Why would I go to a surgical oncologist and not a general surgeon?

Surgical oncologists have an immense wealth of cancer knowledge, including cancer biology, imaging techniques, and different kinds of therapies.

Though many surgeons are highly-trained and qualified to support your cancer journey, surgical oncologists are specialists—that means they’ve had two to three years of extra training, learning to deal specifically with cancer. Dr Hatchuel is an expert with much knowledge and experience with intricate surgical oncology methods, advanced training in other types of cancer treatment (like chemotherapy), and tumour biology and behaviour.

Dr Hatchuel makes every effort to provide compassionate, professional care to his patients. He values communicating transparently with patients and their supporters and making sure you’re making informed decisions.