Radiologists can produce road maps of the patient's body, maps which guide surgeons, or even robots, to the precise location of elusive tumors. Such techniques also enable surgeons to do their work through much smaller incisions.
Proponents say that patients benefit from shorter hospital stays and reduced complications.
Yet, some doctors believe that such advances, while worthwhile, should not be relied on because imaging machines might miss something a trained surgeon would see upon making a much larger incision and more thorough examination. No, the old ways are better.