What does it mean to have negative margins after tumor removal?

• A. It means removing the tumor with some surrounding normal tissue to ensure complete removal
• B. It means removing only the tumor without any surrounding tissue
• C. Margins do not affect the removal process
• D. It means chemotherapy was used in conjunction with surgery

Answer: (A)

Having negative margins means the edge of the removed tissue is free of cancer cells. The surgeon removes the tumor with a surrounding rim of normal tissue to ensure no cancer is left at the site, which lowers the chance of recurrence. If margins are positive, cancer cells are at the edge and additional treatment, such as more surgery or adjuvant therapy, may be needed. Margins describe the surgical specimen, not whether chemotherapy was used, and removing only the tumor without surrounding tissue would not provide negative margins.