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Current considerations in colorectal cancer surgery


Abstract
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The last decades improvement in survival in all stages of the disease has been achieved. Many factors contributes to this improvement; earlier diagnosis, better pre-operative staging, neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy, better surgical method and approach, introduction of pre- and post-operative multidisciplinary team conferences and adjuvant chemotherapy. Currently, new modalities are developing; robotics and organ preserving through wait-and-watch will give colorectal surgeons even more treatment options. This article highlights important aspects of colorectal cancer management now and in the future.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers and the fourth most common cancer killer in the world [1]. Despite this rather dismal situation, there have been many improvements over the years, and treatment of colorectal cancer is steadily developing. A recent change that will have a positive long-term effect on survival is the introduction of screening programs for colorectal cancer. Another well-known change is the use of adjuvant chemotherapy, which has increased the survival rate approximately 10–15% among patients with colon cancer [2]; however, the benefits to patients with rectal cancer are not as clear [3].

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