[Trends in surgical treatment in various malignancies]

Broad resections, both more extensive and en bloc, have come to be the standard surgical treatment for malignant tumors. However, because there is a fair incidence of postoperative complication and sequela, and the application selected is not always appropriate in all cases, the prognosis with such treatment has not improved as much as was expected. In the 1980 s, as the biological characteristics of tumors came to be better understood, advances in treatments other than surgery and a greater awareness of the patient's QOL brought increased use of minimally invasive surgery techniques such as function preserving reduced operations and microscopic surgery. Optimum surgical techniques with no excess or insufficiency are sought--the major requisite being an undiminished prognosis--but more time is required before such treatments can be established.