[Laparoscopic surgery for advanced colorectal cancer]

Laparoscopic colectomy for benign diseases and early cancers has been widely accepted since the first report on it was published in 1991. The indications for laparoscopic colectomy have been expanded with advances in the operative technique and instrumentation. Although laparoscopic surgery for advanced colorectal cancer is technically feasible, the long-term outcome should be confirmed in prospective, randomized, controlled trials of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.