Laparoscopic Surgery Effective for Colon Cancer
February 21st, 2006 by RespiteMatch.com(Ivanhoe Newswire) — A new study shows laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer is as effective as open surgery in the short term.
Laparoscopic surgery does not necessitate a large incision as with open surgery and may lead to a quicker recovery, less pain and a shorter hospital stay. However, it does not have large-scale trial data to support its adoption.
Researchers from the United Kingdom studied more than 700 colon cancer patients to compare the two surgical procedures. Of them, 253 received open surgery, 484 underwent laparoscopic surgery, and 143 converted from laparoscopic to open surgery.
Analysis showed similarities between the two groups in local recurrence rates, cancer-related survival rates, and quality of life. Conversions from laparoscopic to open surgery were more common in patients with cancer of the rectum, and they were associated with the most complications from surgery.
Researchers conclude, “For cancer of the colon, no difference seems to exist between keyhole surgery and open surgery, and there is no reason to expect long-term cancer outcomes to be different. However, impaired short-term outcomes after [laparoscopic] surgery for rectal cancer do not yet justify its routine use.”
In an accompanying editorial, Myriam Curet, M.D., of Stanford University states laparoscopic surgery has not been adopted as quickly as other laparoscopic procedures because of its technical challenges and concerns about oncological effects. Dr. Curet says, “However, this trial suggests that in appropriately selected patients who are operated on by experienced surgeons, [laparoscopic] surgery for colorectal cancer may be the new gold standard.”
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SOURCE: The Lancet, 2005;385:1818-1726,1666-1668
