Objective To investigate the value of lymphatic tracer on surgery for colorectal cancer. Methods Literatures about lymphatic tracer and lymphatic mapping in colorectal cancer were reviewed. Results Lymphatic mapping technique was helpful to increase the numbers of lymph node harvested, to identify sentinel lymph node, thereby increased the accuracy of pathological staging. Besides, lymphatic tracer had great potential uses in lymph nodes targeted chemotherapy during surgery, which might improve prognosis in colorectal cancer patients. Conclusions The lymphatic tracer has been powerful in diagnosis and treatment for colorectal cancer. The more extensive and more profound application of lymphatic mapping depend on more clinical study.
