Carcinoma of the colon: margins of resection

Resection of colonic carcinoma with curative intent must encompass: (1) margins of bowel wall that are wider than the extent of microscopic intramural tumor spread beyond the macroscopic edge of the tumor; (2) lymphatic tissue draining the tumor and possibly containing cancer cells; (3) structures adhering to the tumor and possibly infiltrated by tumor cells. The minimal extent of resection that satisfies these requirements and possible benefits of extending the resection are reviewed.