During the 1990s, laparoscopic resection was established as a treatment for gastrointestinal malignant tumors. A number of randomized controlled trials comparing laparoscopic -assisted colorectal surgery with conventional open colorectal surgery for colon cancer have been conducted. These trials have shown short -term benefits, and the vast majority demonstrated no significant difference in long -term outcomes. Laparoscopic -assisted colorectal surgery is widely performed for the treatment of colon cancer, whereas laparoscopic -assisted colorectal surgery for rectal cancer is less commonly performed. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of reports of laparoscopic -assisted colorectal surgery for rectal cancer, where improving short -term outcomes was shown, but no definitive effect on long -term survival has been shown to date. Randomized controlled trials focusing on long -term survival are currently ongoing.