Description

While laparoscopic approaches are used for many abdominal procedures and allow for faster recovery of bowel function, better immunologic response and overall accelerated recovery for the patient, the use of laparoscopy for cancer surgery is still a matter of debate. For patients with cancer, questions remain about the immunologic implications of laparoscopic surgery, the adequacy and standardization of laparoscopic techniques, the risk for disease recurrence, and the impact on survival. The safety and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer has certainly been established, but the same rigorous approach to other cancers has yet to be reported. In this article we review the current data and state of the art for laparoscopic approaches in abdominal cancer surgery.