Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Citorreducción
Debulking (dee-BUL-king)
Surgical removal of as much of a tumor as possible. Debulking may increase the chance that chemotherapy or radiation therapy will kill all the tumor cells. It may also be done to relieve symptoms or help the patient live longer. Also called tumor debulking.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.