This elective will provide the senior medical student an opportunity to evaluate comprehensively the pre-operative cancer patient, participate in surgical management as well as post-operative in-house and office continuing care.

Assignment to specific surgical attendings on daily selected case(s) will broaden the exposure to neoplastic processes and alternatives in their management.

Histories and physical examinations will be performed as well as review of pre-operative and post-operative studies. Selected reading will be assigned as indicated. Daily rounds will be made with assigned attendings, and daily resident conferences will be attended.

Presentation of appropriate cases at the weekly tumor conference will be expected, at which time the multidisciplinary therapeutic approach to the cancer patient will be emphasized. An attempt will be made to involve specialty areas of gastrointestinal, liver and biliary, pancreatic, gynecologic, urologic, head and neck, thoracic, as well as neurologic malignant process.

Nutritional support of the cancer patient will receive focal attention.