Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer in China: an overview

Since its introduction into China in 2001, laparoscopic techniques have been extensively used for the surgical management of colorectal cancer during the last two decades in China. Like all the pioneers of the technique, Chinese gastrointestinal surgeons claim that laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer led to faster recovery, shorter hospital stay and more rapid return to daily activities respect to open surgery while offering the same functional and oncological results. There has been booming interest in laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer since 2006 in China. The last decade has witnessed national growth in the application of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer and yielded a significant amount of scientific data to support its clinical merits and advantages. However, few prospective randomized controlled trials have investigated the benefits of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer in China. In this article, we make an overview of the current data and state of the art of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer in China.