Cancer Surgery
Surgery is an important tool used to help prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. Dr Dunkley provides specialised surgical treatment and care for breast cancer, bowel cancer, and skin cancer across two locations in Mildura to support patients and their families in Sunraysia, Mildura and surrounding districts.
Being referred for cancer surgery
Your GP may refer you to Dr Dunkley for a surgical procedure because they need more information about your symptoms before making a diagnosis of cancer. At your initial appointment, Dr Dunkley will explain the specific surgical procedures recommended for different types of cancer and help guide any decisions you need to make.
In most cases, testing a small tissue sample (biopsy) is the only way to confirm what type of cancer is suspected, how much there is and how far it has spread. This is called staging.
Other surgeries may be recommended to completely remove cancer before or after other treatments including radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Breast cancer surgery
Dr Dunkley is part of a team of clinicians offering multidisciplinary cancer care at Mildura Base Hospital and Mildura Private Hospital. Her goal is to make you feel as comfortable as possible and provide a supportive environment for your treatment and care.
Surgery is usually recommended as part of combined therapy for patients diagnosed with breast cancer and to provide vital information about the type, size, location and stage of breast cancer.
For many patients, being able to have their surgery in Mildura, without the need to travel and stay far away from home and family, takes away a lot of the stress associated with receiving treatment for cancer.
Bowel cancer surgery
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, can affect any part of the colon or rectum. It can also be called colon cancer or rectal cancer, depending on where the cancer is found. Bowel cancer may be diagnosed using a screening test called a colonoscopy. If you are diagnosed with bowel cancer, further surgery will be recommended to remove the cancer and prevent it spreading to other tissues and organs.
Colonoscopy
Most bowel cancers are thought to develop from growths found in the large bowel called polyps. Not all polyps develop into bowel cancer however they are routinely removed during colonoscopy for pathology testing. Tissue samples can reveal if the cancer has spread through the lining of the bowel. If the cancer has not spread, no further treatment is needed but regular follow-up checks are recommended.
Colon surgery
Surgery to remove a portion of the colon affected by cancer is called a colectomy. It is preferably done using less invasive keyhole surgery (laparoscopic-assisted colectomy) but also may be performed as open surgery (open colectomy). In this surgery, Dr Dunkley will remove the cancer and some nearby healthy tissue before joining the bowel together again. Colon surgery is usually performed in one of two ways:
Bowel resection with primary anastomosis – Dr Dunkley will remove any infected colon (colectomy) and connect two healthy pieces from either side of the infected area (anastomosis).
Bowel resection and colostomy – if there is too much colon inflammation, Dr Dunkley may perform an operation called a colostomy to divert the colon to an opening outside of the body called a stoma. The colostomy can be temporary or permanent depending upon how well your colon recovers over the next few months. Often the colostomy can be reversed after the colon has healed.
During surgery, some nearby lymph nodes will also be removed to check whether the cancer has spread. Dr Dunkey will discuss all aspects of your diagnosis, treatment and recovery and answer any questions prior to your surgery.
Skin cancer surgery
Removing skin cancers using surgery is often the first line of treatment to reduce the likelihood of skin cancer coming back. Dr Dunkley will ensure that all the cancer is removed while preserving the skin’s appearance and function of the area.
Skin cancers can be found anywhere on the body and are more common as we get older after spending more time in the sun over our lifetimes. In later stages, skin cancers can spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body.
Smaller skin lesions can be removed in clinic however for larger skin cancers, where more tissue needs to be removed, Dr Dunkley will recommend having your procedure in hospital to ensure full access to surgical facilities and specialist wound care as needed.
Dr Dunkley performs surgery for skin cancer at Mildura Base Hospital and Mildura Private Hospital.