Minimally invasive surgery for solid tumors.

The use of minimally invasive surgery in patients with cancer is slowly evolving. There are a number of reports describing laparoscopy in adults for pancreatic, ovarian, gastric, and colon cancers. In addition, thoracoscopy has been described for lung and esophageal cancers. The role of laparoscopy and thoracoscopy in children with cancer is less clear because a number of pediatric neoplasms are sensitive to adjuvant therapy and surgery is often part of a planned multi-dimensional approach. This article describes a previous reported experience with minimally invasive surgery in children with cancer, current indications for this approach, and general principles which are important regarding the operative technique. In addition, future applications for this technology are suggested.