Surgical oncology: a specialty in evolution.

Surgical oncology has established its role in the multidisciplinary care of the cancer patient. Surgical oncology fellowships are organized to teach multimodality treatment. The typical fellow has completed 6 years of general surgery residency and 1 year in the laboratory with the resultant eight publications. Data compiled from the review of two Society of Surgical Oncology-approved fellowship programs, the Surgical Residency Review Committee and the American Board of Surgery, indicate that the majority of fellows join academic faculties and enhance the training of general surgeons, who, in turn, have the major responsibility for oncologic care of the population at large.