02 Apr Laparoscopic Surgery Found Safe For Rectal Cancer

Posted at 14:09h in Author Interviews, Cancer Research, Colon Cancer, NEJM, Surgical Research by Marie Benz MD FAAD

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. H. Jaap Bonjer, PhD, FRCSC
Professor of Surgery
Chair Department of Surgery
VU University Medical Center Amsterdam
Amsterdam

Medical Research: What is the background for this study?

Dr. Bonjer: Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer is widely used after sufficient evidence was collected in various trials demonstrating similar long term cancer outcomes as open surgery. However, solid evidence that laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer has similar outcomes as open surgery was lacking

Medical Research: What are the main findings?

Dr. Bonjer: Laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancers which have not invaded adjacent organs has similar cancer outcomes as open surgery. There are indications that disease free survival after laparoscopic surgery is better in patient with lymph node positive disease and that fewer locoregional recurrences of rectal cancer occur after laparoscopic resection of low rectal cancer.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Bonjer: Long term studies in patients with colonic cancer who were randomized to either open or laparoscopic surgery have provided evidence that cancer outcomes after laparoscopic resection of colonic cancer are similar to those of open surgery. However, robust evidence for laparoscopic resection of rectal cancer was lacking. This study in more than 1,000 patients assures patients and medical doctors that laparoscopic surgery is safe for rectal cancer, and offers short term benefits such as less pain and faster postoperative recovery. Therefore, laparoscopic surgery should be offered to patients with rectal cancer.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Bonjer: Further research need to focus on survival rates in patients with lymph node positive disease (stage III) and patients with low rectal cancer. The COLOR II study group is initiating a new study, the COLOR III trial, to evaluate a new minimally invasive technique, the Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision (TaTME) to remove low rectal cancer.

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