Comparison of a Five-Year Survival and Cancer Recurrence between Laparoscopically Assisted and Open Colonic Resections due to Adenocarcinoma—A Single Centre Experience

Abstract

Background and objectives: When resecting colon adenocarcinoma, surgeons decide between the use of laparoscopically assisted and open surgery. Laparoscopic resection is known to have short-term benefits over an open operation. However, researchers are not as unified about the long-term findings. The aim of this research is to elaborate on five-year post-operative differences in survival and cancer recurrence between these two different approaches. Materials and methods: 74 enrolled patients were evaluated five years after a primary operation. We collected dates of deaths of deceased patients and time after operation of possible recurrences. Carcinoma staging was done by a pathologist after operation. Blood samples were taken before surgery in order to measure tumor markers (CA19-9 and CEA). Results: Survival after colonic adenocarcinoma surgery did not differ between the two different surgical approaches (p = 0.151). Recurrence of cancer was not associated with the type of operation (p = 0.532). Patients with recurrence had a 37.6 times greater hazard ratio of dying (95% CI: [12.0, 118]; p < 0.001). Advanced age adversely affected survival: patients aged <65 and ≥65 years had a 97%, and 57% survival rate, respectively. Patients with elevated tumor markers at operation had a 19.1 greater hazard ratio of dying (95% CI: [5.16, 70.4]; p < 0.001). Patients with different TNM stages did not have any statistically significant differences in survival (HRII = 2.49; 95% CI: [0.67, 9.30]; pII = 0.173) (HRIII = 2.18; 95% CI: [0.58, 8.12]; pIII = 0.246) or recurrence (p = 0.097). Conclusion: The obtained results suggest that laparoscopic resection of colon cancer is not inferior from an oncologic point of view and results in a similar long-term survival and disease-free interval. Recurrence of carcinoma, older age at initial operation and elevated tumor markers, above a pre-set threshold at operation, were found to be independent factors of lower survival. We believe that the obtained results will be of benefit when choosing treatment for colon adenocarcinoma.

Altered arginine metabolism in colon cancer: A sign of increased proliferative potential of tumor-adjacent tissue

“…The examined clinical parameters of patients in our study after surgery were similar to recent reports [24]. Although the early diagnosis and treatment of CRC are in constant progress, the results of CRC patient treatment regarding postoperative recurrence and metastases, are unsatisfactory.…”