Laparoscopy for colon cancer.

Laparoscopic resection of the colon is certainly feasible. There are conflicting reports regarding decreased postoperative pain, resumption of gastrointestinal function, and earlier return to work. There is no change in either mortality or morbidity when compared with open resection. For benign disease laparoscopic colonic resection is ideal if performed by a surgeon who performs the operation frequently. For malignant disease, [table: see text] at this stage, laparoscopic colonic resection should only be performed in the setting of a randomized controlled trial. The future of laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer will be decided by oncologic parameters. There is good evidence that a laparoscopic resection can be technically equivalent to its open counterpart. The data on recurrence, both local and distant, and long-term survival will become clearer when results of randomized controlled trials currently underway become available. The issue of port-site recurrence is a major concern in laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. The reported incidence is low; however, its cause remains unexplained and its presence in patients with early stage tumors cannot be ignored.