Surgery for Colorectal Cancer

Surgery is the mainstay in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Considerable progress has been made in the past eight years since the publication of the most recent clinical practice guidelines for colorectal cancer by the National Health and Medical Research Council. The most notable changes in surgery are the result of trials in minimally invasive approaches, including laparoscopic cancer resection, new advances yet to be tested such as robotic assisted cancer resection and the use of self-expanding metallic stents in patients with curable malignant obstruction. This paper provides an overview of these minimally invasive techniques and summarises the recommendations that could be considered for inclusion or update in the next edition of the guidelines. Surgery is the mainstay treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). With the exception of medically contraindicated patients or patients who decline surgery, most patients, including those with locally advanced or metastatic disease, will require some form of surgical intervention, which may be preceded by or followed by adjuvant therapy. Although progress continues to be made on all fronts in the treatment of CRC, from a surgical standpoint, minimally invasive and maximally invasive resection techniques have made the most progress over the past eight years, since the publication of the most recent clinical practice guidelines by the National Health and Medical Research Council.1 Table1 summarises the existing practice guidelines and areas where updates could be considered based on the available