Until Issue 2 in 2008, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews had included 23 systematic reviews
concerning colorectal tumors by the colorectal cancer group. These reviews involved prevention, diagnosis, treatment,
prognosis and follow-up. The preventive ability of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, accuracy of chromoscopy, shortterm
outcomes of laparoscopic colorectal resection and outcomes of laparoscopic total mesorectal excision were confirmed.
Meanwhile, the effect of dietary fibre in prevention, mechanical preoperative preparation, and prophylactic anastomotic
drainage was questioned. Because of the low quality of trials, no firm conclusions were revealed in some reviews, such as
traditional Chinese medicine in chemotherapy. Through the study of Cochrane systematic reviews, medical practitioners
and researchers can obtain high-quality evidence, and identify future research direction in the field of colorectal cancer.
