The Future of Surgical Management of Colorectal Cancer

Excerpt

As Niels Bohr once stated, “It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see.” Who could have predicted 50 years ago that in 2008 we would be screening for colorectal cancer using X-ray technology that allows us to travel though the lumen of the large bowel, taking advantage of the energy liberated from atoms submitted to a magnetic field to stage rectal cancer, removing the colon with the help of a television camera introduced into the abdominal cavity, using robots to dissect the rectum, or sequencing the DNA to diagnose hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes? Looking at these developments, which 50 years ago seemed to be the stuff of science fiction, makes predicting where the management of colorectal cancer will be 50 years from now a staggering task. But, considering the curiosity, creativity, and tenacity displayed by the medical profession in the last 50 years, it is a safe bet to predict that the management of colorectal cancer will be unrecognizable at the end of the next 50 years. …