Jun Seok Park, Gyu-seog Choi, Hye Jin Kim, Soo Yeun Park, In Taek Woo. Kyungpook National University Chilgok Hospital
Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the long-term outcomes of robot-assisted right colectomy (RAC) with those for conventional laparoscopy-assisted right colectomy (LAC) for treating right-sided colon cancer.
Background: There is increasing enthusiasm for the use of robotic techniques to treat colorectal malignancies. However, the oncologic safety of RAC has not been defined.
Methods: From September 2009 to July 2011, 71 patients with right-sided colon cancer were included in the study, randomized into two groups treated with RAC or LAC. Adjuvant therapy and postoperative follow-up were similar in both groups. The primary and secondary endpoints of the study were hospital stay and survival, respectively. Data were analyzed by intention-to-treat. This trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00470951.
Results: The RAC and LAC groups did not differ significantly in terms of baseline clinical characteristics. Compared with LAC, RAC was associated with longer operation times (195 min vs. 129 min, P < 0.001) and higher cost ($12,235 vs. $10,319, P = 0.013). The median follow-up was 49.2 months (interquartile range, 40.6–56.2). The combined 5-year disease-free survival for all tumor stages was 77.4 % (95% confidence interval [CI], 60.6-92.1%) in the RAC group and 83.6% (95% CI, 72.1-97.0%) in the LAC group (P = 0.442). The combined 5-year overall survival rates for all stages were 91.1% (95% CI, 78.8-99.9%) in the RAC group and 91.0% (95% CI, 81.3-99.9%) in the LAC group (P = 0.678). Using multivariate analysis, RAC was not a predictor of recurrence.
Conclusions: RAC appears to provide similar survival outcome to LAC, but we did not observe any long-term clinical benefits that could compensate for the increase in the cost of RAC compared with LAC.
Presented at the SAGES 2017 Annual Meeting in Houston, TX.
Abstract ID: 87836
Program Number: S030
Presentation Session: Colorectal 1 Session
Presentation Type: Podium