I know a couple of surgeons refused to operate on pancreatic cancer without PET results when the cancer was shrunk to 1-2 centimeters. Even if there are metastatic sites and the metastasized cells grow, the original cancer would still be removed, we’d have fewer cancer cells overall. What is the reason that doctors don’t do it?
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Metastatic means it’s capable of moving around your body freely. So sure they can operate and remove that cancer tumor. But by this point a tonne of these cells will have migrated away from the tumor and will be starting fresh tumors elsewhere.
You’re better off keeping the main tumor to gauge how well chemotherapy is affecting that cancer as you can’t see how many cells have migrated nor where to. But if you can blitz a large group of those cells with the right chemical, you can get rid of all the other little ones too simultaneously
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