Abstract
Purpose of Review: This review aims to clarify the current role of minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of rectal cancer, highlighting short- and long-term outcomes from the latest trials and studies. Recent Findings: Data from previous trials has been conflicting, with some failing to demonstrate non-inferiority of laparoscopic surgical resection of rectal cancer compared to an open approach and others demonstrating similar clinical outcomes. Robot-assisted surgery was thought to be a promising solution to the challenges faced by laparoscopic surgery, and even though the only randomized controlled trial to date comparing these two techniques did not show superiority of robot-assisted surgery over laparoscopy, more recent retrospective data suggests a statistically significant higher negative circumferential resection margin rate, decreased frequency of conversion to open, and less sexual and urinary complications. Summary: Minimally invasive surgery techniques for resection of rectal cancer, particularly robot-assisted, offer clear short-term peri-operative benefits over an open approach; however, current data has yet to display non-inferiority in terms of oncological outcomes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 117 |
Journal | Current oncology reports |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2021 |
Keywords
- Laparoscopy
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Rectal cancer
- Robot
- Total mesorectal excision
- robot-assisted
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology