Laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery: panacea, placebo or just good fun?

The article discusses issues related to laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. Laparoscopic colorectal surgery was an emerging technique in the early 1990s with unproven outcomes. Information is presented on several studies that were published on whether or not laparoscopic surgery was superior to open surgery. It is suggested that new surgical techniques need to undergo similar rigorous assessment as novel drugs.