Minimally Invasive Surgery in Cancer: Pros and Cons

In this chapter the authors provide a broad, overarching view of the current state of play of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in the management of solid organ cancers. This summary, that draws on the available evidence in literature, aims to provide the reader with answers to some very specific questions that have plagued the protagonists, as well as, sceptics of MIS in visceral cancers. The eventual aim is to reflect on the evidence using a real-world lens so that the reader is empowered to understand where we stand today in terms of MIS in cancer and what work needs to be done, if any, to better utilize the complementary strengths of MIS and open surgery, which can be put to use in a patient requiring surgery for cancer.