[Historical review of colorectal cancer surgery]

The classical standard surgical technique for rectal carcinoma, abdominoperineal excision (Miles operation), has been gradually replaced by sphincter-saving surgery and more than 70% of rectal carcinomas are treated by anterior resection in which autosuture machines have played a major role in recent years. Wide lateral lymphadenectomy has been replaced by autonomic nerve preservation because of the high frequency of sexual and urinary dysfunction. Total mesorectal excision (TME) proposed by Heald et al which ignores the lateral nodes of the pelvic wall is the most popular technique in Western countries. The concept of TME is contradictory to that of wide lateral lymphadenectomy and the true merits of the latter should be examined in the near future. Minimally invasive surgery, including various procedures of local excision of low rectal tumors and colonoscopic polypectomy, has given great benefits to many patients. In Japan there seems to have been a lack of interest in adjuvant radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in the past, but they should be more seriously considered for the adjuvant treatment of advanced rectal carcinoma in the future.