Preoperative Evaluation and Medical Optimization of the Cancer Patient

Although many of the goals of preoperative evaluation and optimization are the same for patients with and without cancer, cancer patients present a unique set of challenges that perioperative physicians must be familiar with. The overall goals of preoperative evaluation are to understand the whole patient, identify undiagnosed or undertreated conditions, and acknowledge patient- and procedure-related risk factors in order to prepare the patient optimally for surgery. A comprehensive preoperative evaluation lays the groundwork for high-quality care of the surgical patient. Additionally, a comprehensive preoperative evaluation of the cancer patient lends insight into potential risks and complications that may occur in the postoperative period.