Advances in research on laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery

Laparoscopic techniques have been extensively used for the surgical management of colorectal cancer in the last two decades. Accumulated data have demonstrated that laparoscopic colectomy is associated with better short-term outcomes and equivalent oncologic outcomes when compared with open surgery. However, some controversies regarding the oncologic quality of mini-invasive surgery for rectal cancer exist. Meanwhile, great progress in colorectal surgery, such as robotic technology, 3D laparoscopic technique, and laparoscopic treatment of liver metastasis in colorectal cancer, has been made in recent years. In this article, we review the published data and mainly focus on the status quo of and latest advances in laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer.