Abstract
Looking back in time, we appreciate how efforts in basic, translational and clinical research have allowed us to arrive at sophisticated treatment modalities for cancer and results that could not be imagined some decades ago. Along the timeline of cancer management evolution, where profound changes in drug therapy and radiation technology have occurred, surgery has remained –and remains today– the key component of cancer treatment for solid malignancies. The classic aphorism “no surgery, no cure” is still fully valid in the majority of cases. Moreover, it is well known that fl aws in the primary surgical resection of a malignant tumour imprint a negative impact on diseasespecifi c survival that cannot be overcome by complementary cancer therapy delivered at a later time. The surgeon has been identifi ed as a signifi cant prognostic factor in malignant disease [1], and the crucial responsibility of surgeons in the ultimate outcome of their cancer patients cannot be overemphasised.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
