Dictionary of Cancer Terms
View in Spanish: Citorreducción tumoral
Tumor debulking (TOO-mer dee-BUL-king)
Surgical removal of as much of a tumor as possible. Tumor 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 debulking.
Source: National Cancer Institute Dictionary of Cancer Terms, available at www.cancer.gov/dictionary.