Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Deciding how much surgery you want | CION Cancer Clinics
You usually have more say than you expect. When more than one operation could reasonably treat your cancer, what you want to keep and what you are willing to go through can shape the choice. When only one operation gives a realistic chance, you still decide whether to have it. This page sets out the usual choices, a way to work through them, and how the family can help. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How much say do you have in how much surgery you have?
- What are the choices usually between?
- How can you work through the decision?
- What part should the family play?
- What do the words you will hear in this conversation mean?
- If this matters most, what should you ask?
- What stops people from taking part in the decision?
- Common questions about deciding on the extent of surgery
The short answer
How much say do you have in how much surgery you have?
More than many people expect. When more than one operation could reasonably treat your cancer, what you value can and should shape the choice, and your team should lay out each option clearly.
When there is a real choice
Sometimes a smaller operation with radiotherapy and a larger operation give similar long-term results. Sometimes surgery and radiotherapy are both reasonable first treatments. In those situations, the decision often turns on what you want to keep, what you are willing to go through, and how you live.
When the choice is narrower
Sometimes only one operation gives a realistic chance of removing the cancer. Your choice is then whether to have it, to ask for more time or another opinion, or to choose a different kind of care. Each of those is yours to make, and saying you need time is allowed.
What this page will not do
It will not tell you what to choose. That decision belongs to you, with your treating team. It also cannot tell you which options are open for your own cancer. This page helps you prepare for that conversation, so you leave the appointment understanding why a plan was suggested.
Deciding together with your doctor is called shared decision-making. It is how good cancer care is meant to work.The options
What are the choices usually between?
Not all of these apply to every cancer. Ask which ones are genuinely open to you.
A smaller or a larger operation
Keeping more of an organ, often with radiotherapy afterwards, or removing more at once. The trade-off is function and follow-up against extent.
Surgery or a non-surgical route
For some cancers, radiotherapy with chemotherapy is a reasonable alternative, keeping the organ with surgery held in reserve.
Surgery now or after other treatment
Chemotherapy or radiotherapy first may shrink the tumour. It also delays the operation and adds its own side effects.
Reconstruction now, later or not at all
After breast, head and neck or limb operations, rebuilding can happen at the same time, as a later operation, or not at all.
Not having the operation
Some people choose other treatment or comfort-focused care. The team should explain what that is likely to mean, without pressure.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistA way through
How can you work through the decision?
Get the facts about your cancer
Ask for the type, stage and position in plain words. Ask whether every test needed for a decision is complete.
Ask for every option
Ask what options exist, including ones not recommended, and why each was or was not suggested for you.
Ask what each means for daily life
Recovery time, lasting changes, extra treatment, follow-up visits and travel. Ask what is likely, not only what is possible.
Decide what matters most to you
Write down the two or three things you most want to protect. Share that list with your team.
Ask how long you have
Find out how much time you can take to decide safely, and use it to talk with family and, if you wish, a second team.
Families
What part should the family play?
In many families in Telangana, big decisions are made together, and children often lead when a parent is ill. That support matters. It works well when the person having surgery stays at the centre of the decision, and when the family helps them ask questions rather than answering on their behalf.
Let the patient hear it directly
People usually sense when something is being kept from them. Hearing the options from the surgeon, with family present, is generally easier than being told a decision after it is made. It also means they can ask their own questions.
Ask what they want to protect
A father may care most about going back to his shop. A mother may care most about her voice or about avoiding a bag. Those priorities belong to them, and they can change which option fits.
When the family disagrees
Disagreements are common. It helps to go to one appointment together and hear the same information. Ask the surgeon to explain the options again, in Telugu if that helps, and let the patient speak first.
If the person cannot take part because they are very unwell or confused, ask the team how decisions will be made on their behalf.Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
In the consultation
What do the words you will hear in this conversation mean?
- Shared decision-making
- You and your doctor decide together, combining the medical facts with what matters to you.
- Radical resection
- Removing the tumour with a rim of healthy tissue and often nearby lymph nodes, aiming to leave no cancer behind.
- Organ-preserving treatment
- Treatment that aims to control the cancer while keeping the organ, and how it works, in place.
- Neoadjuvant treatment
- Chemotherapy or radiotherapy given before surgery, often to shrink the tumour first.
- Palliative care
- Care that focuses on comfort and quality of life. It can be given alongside other treatment, not only at the end of life.
- Informed consent
- Your agreement to an operation after its purpose, risks and alternatives have been explained to you.
Side by side
If this matters most, what should you ask?
If what matters most is
A question worth asking
Keeping an organ or limb
Is a smaller operation or a non-surgical route realistic for my cancer?
Getting treatment over with
Which option has the shortest total treatment, including radiotherapy?
Avoiding a second operation
How often does each option lead to a further operation?
Limiting travel from the district
How many visits does each option need, and where?
Commonly believed
What stops people from taking part in the decision?
"The doctor knows everything, so asking questions is disrespectful."
The doctor knows the cancer. Only you know your life. Surgeons expect questions, and good decisions need both kinds of knowledge.
"Asking for a second opinion will upset our surgeon."
Second opinions before major surgery are routine. Most surgeons welcome them. You can ask for copies of every report and scan to take with you.
"We must decide at the first appointment."
Unless the situation is urgent, there is usually time to think. Ask how long is safe. Decisions made with a little time tend to sit better later.
"Choosing less surgery means we care less about beating the cancer."
Where a smaller option controls the cancer about as well, choosing it is a sensible decision. It reflects what you value, not a lack of effort.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about deciding on the extent of surgery
Can I refuse the operation my surgeon recommends?
Yes. You have the right to accept or decline any treatment. Before deciding, ask what the alternatives are and what is likely to happen with each. Your team should respect your choice and continue to care for you whichever path you take.
What if I change my mind after agreeing?
You can change your mind at any point before the operation. Tell your surgeon as soon as you can, so the plan can be discussed again. Changing your mind is not unusual, and it does not mean you will be treated differently.
How do I know if an option is being hidden from me?
Ask directly, "What other options are there, and why are they not right for me?" A clear answer should cover each alternative. If you still feel unsure, a second opinion from another surgical oncologist can confirm whether other options exist.
Is it wrong to choose what matters for my family, not only for me?
No. Many people weigh work, children, caring for parents and cost. Those are real parts of life. Share them with your team, because they can affect which option fits and how treatment is planned around you.
My mother does not want to know the details. What should we do?
Some people prefer not to hear every detail, and that is their right. Ask her how much she wants to know and who she wants to decide with her. The team can then share information in the way she prefers.
Does cost affect which operation should be chosen?
It can be a real factor, and it is fair to raise it. Ask for an estimate for each option, including radiotherapy and follow-up. Check Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or insurance cover early, because out-of-pocket cost often differs from the full figure.
What should I bring to the decision appointment?
All reports, scan images, a list of your medicines and a written list of questions. Bring one or two family members who will support the decision. Ask if you can write notes or record the key points so you can go over them at home.
Who discusses my case before the options are offered?
At CION, cases are discussed at a tumour board with surgical, medical and radiation oncologists together. That means non-surgical options and treatment before surgery are considered alongside the operation, before the options are explained to you.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- NICE — Shared decision making (NG197)
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Surgery
- American Cancer Society — Cancer Surgery
- National Cancer Institute — Surgery to Treat Cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Radical Surgery vs Quality of LifeWhat a bigger operation can change in daily lifeWhen a Smaller Operation Is Just as GoodWhere less surgery has been shown to workDeciding on Cancer SurgeryThe wider guide to making surgery decisionsCaretaker and Family Guide to SurgeryHow families can support the person having surgery
Talk to us
Facing a decision about surgery?
Tell us what has been found and which options you have been given. We will help you reach a surgical oncologist who can go through each one with you. One helpline serves every CION centre.