It is not easy to operate on colorectal cancer, a collective term for colon and rectal cancer, when it recurs after surgical removal.

However, with the recent development of surgical methods, including robotic and 3D laparoscopic surgeries, and the introduction of various new anticancer drugs, the surgical indications for recurrent colon cancer have expanded considerably.

Therefore, there is no need to feel discouraged if your colon cancer has recurred, , an expert said.

"When colorectal cancer recurs, it is sometimes recognized as terminal, but even if it recurs, it can often be treated surgically, and there are other treatments as well," said Professor Kim Jin of the Department of Colorectal Surgery at Korea University Anam Hospital.

Professor Kim, a specialist in recurrent colorectal cancer surgery, said so while explaining the current trend of recurrent colorectal cancer treatment on the hospital’s YouTube channel, “Korea University Medicine.”

Professor Kim noted that many drugs and new surgical methods have been developed. The indications for surgery have also expanded considerably, so it is better to be treated early rather than thinking of recurrent colorectal cancer as terminal, he added.

Recurrent colorectal cancer is particularly difficult to operate on. That’s because there are a lot of important blood vessels and nerves in the pelvis, and sometimes the cancer mass is located there, making it difficult to remove the cancer without damaging the blood vessels and nerves, according to Kim.

"There are a lot of blood vessels and nerves in the pelvis, and it's very difficult to operate on a recurrence that includes those areas," he said. "If patients get injured during surgery, they can bleed a lot, and in some cases, they may die, so recurrence surgery is like walking in a minefield."

For this reason, recurrent colorectal cancer has been thought to require open surgery. Recently, however, robotic surgery or 3D laparoscopic surgery has been used to treat recurrent colorectal cancer with minimal incisions. 3D laparoscopic surgery adds 3D technology to conventional laparoscopic surgery. Professor Kim explained that when the surgeon wears 3D glasses, the surgeon can see the surgical site, like watching a 3D movie in the theater.

"The 3D laparoscopic surgery will have advantages in operating on complex parts, including the pelvic wall because it is a technique that operates by viewing all the organs in the stomach in three dimensions, which reduces bleeding, shortens the operation time, and reduces various human errors," Professor Kim said. "If patients don't delay treatment and start treatment early, the chances of being cured are also higher."