Surgical oncologists are general surgeons with specialty training in procedures for diagnosing, staging (determining the stage of cancer), or removing cancerous growths. The most common procedures performed by surgical oncologists are biopsies and surgery for cancerous growth removal. They can also perform surgery to stage cancer and determine how far cancer has spread. In certain circumstances, surgical oncologists may also perform preventive surgeries. In some cases, surgery may be the only treatment you need. In other circumstances, you may have surgery and receive additional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation. In these cases, a surgical oncologist may be an important part of your cancer care team.