Invited Commentary

Recurrence of cancer following colon cancer resection is the end point of failure. Surgeons dread this complication, and the question of increased recurrence rates or changing patterns of recurrence following laparoscopic surgery are of great concern. Approximately 25 cases of recurrent cancer have been reported in the literature and several of these have been in cases of Dukes' B carcinoma. This seems an unusual pattern of recurrence, yet the absence of a denominator makes it uncertain whether there is truly an increased recurrence rate. Allendorf et al give pause to the question of recurrent cancer and suggest that, in fact, laparoscopic surgery may be associated with a decreased risk for recurrence. As suggested by previous authors, it may be that the changing milieu, high flow rates, or increased manipulation are responsible for changing patterns of recurrence and this issue is not addressed in this study. Furthermore, the route of spread