Protocol for incomplete murine tumor resection to study local effects of surgical trauma on residual sarcoma

Oncologic surgery aims to remove the entirety of cancer from a patient. However, we have little understanding of how surgical trauma impacts the residual primary tumor when disease is often left behind. Herein, we present a protocol to test the impact of surgical trauma on an incompletely resected murine sarcoma. We describe steps for tumor cell injection, tumor measurements, experimental group assignments, and maintaining sterility. We then detail procedures for surgical preparation, incision and tumor exposure, incomplete tumor resection, closure, and recovery. • Protocol to study effects of incomplete sarcoma resection • Steps to generate a primary tumor and perform incomplete resection survival surgery • Detailed instructions regarding surgical technique for reproducible results Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics. Oncologic surgery aims to remove the entirety of cancer from a patient. However, we have little understanding of how surgical trauma impacts the residual primary tumor when disease is often left behind. Herein, we present a protocol to test the impact of surgical trauma on an incompletely resected murine sarcoma. We describe steps for tumor cell injection, tumor measurements, experimental group assignments, and maintaining sterility. We then detail procedures for surgical preparation, incision and tumor exposure, incomplete tumor resection, closure, and recovery.