Surgical Treatment of Colon Cancer (Open and Laparoscopic Surgery)

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer, including rectal cancer. Therefore, colon cancer is associated with a significant proportion of cancer-related deaths. Because colon cancer treatment differs from rectal cancer treatment, they are examined under separate categories. Symptoms usually vary depending on the localization and stage of the disease. It is usually not uncommon for colon cancer to become symptomatic after disease progression. For disease symptoms to occur, stenosis in the lumen or obvious or occult bleeding should develop. Particularly tumors located proximally can become very large, manifesting with anemia due to occult bleeding. Left-sided tumors can manifest with signs of stenosis or obstruction. The main treatment approach is curative surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Curative surgery should be the aim even for diseases at advanced stages. Adequate lymphadenectomy should be performed, too, in combination with resection. While the classical surgical approach is open surgery, laparoscopic interventions have become commonly used methods in colon cancer surgery all over the world for the last 20 years. Resection in compliance with oncological principles contributes significantly to disease-free survival regardless of whether open surgery or laparoscopy is performed.