[Thought of the present application situation and the future trends of minimally invasive surgery in colorectal cancer].

Laparoscopic surgery has been increasingly used in rectal cancer surgery. Though there are still some controversies, most of the research results support that the outcome is similar for rectal cancer patients with either laparoscopic or open surgery, in term of short-term such as safety and efficacy and long-term such as oncologic outcome. Standardization of laparoscopic training together with the comprehensive management concept are the prerequisites of laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery. Those doctors who do minimally invasive surgery should follow the rationale that smaller incision and sphincter preservation are secondary to safety and oncological result of the patients. It is the comprehensive management and personalized treatment that bring opportunities for the continuous development and innovation of innovative technologies and concepts, for example, non-operative treatment, endoscopic therapy, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, single incision laparoscopic surgery, and robotic surgery. And they may finally lead to better outcome and quality of life for the patients.