AbstractAlthough surgery is the established standard and mainstay for treatment of colorectal cancer, advances in technology and clinical trials over the past 50 years have dramatically expanded and improved the detection, staging, treatment, and understanding of this disease. This review highlights contributions by surgeons, oncologists, gastroenterologists, engineers, and scientists to increase postsurgical recurrence‐free survival, reduce the time and toxicity of treatment, and improve the quality of life for patients over the past half‐century.