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Lateral lymph node (LLN) metastasis is a determinant of local recurrence in advanced low rectal cancer. Lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) is effective in removing metastatic lymph nodes, and has been shown to have a decreased local recurrence rate. However, because of its complexity and complications it induces, there is still tremendous controversy about its usage. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME) are recommended as a conventional treatment for advanced rectal cancer. However, LLN metastasis and local recurrence still occur despite nCRT with TME. In Japan, TME with LLND is the standard surgical treatment for Stage II/III of advanced low rectal cancer. Before surgery, a proper evaluation of LLN status should be performed. Laparoscopic LLND and robotic-assisted LLND are useful for this. More research is necessary to improve the oncological outcomes of LLND. In this review, we retrospectively examine previous reports about LLND, aiming to emphasize its application prospects to improve patient survival and life quality.

BackgroundThe optimal surgical approach for clinical T4 (cT4) rectal cancer is unknown. This study was conducted to clarify short- and long-term outcomes of robotic surgery for cT4 rectal cancer.MethodsIn our retrospective cohort study, we enrolled patients who underwent robotic surgery for cT4 rectal cancer within 15 cm from the anal verge between 2011 and 2018. The short- and long-term outcomes were evaluated.ResultsOf a total of 122 eligible patients, 70 (57%) had cT4a tumors and 52 (43%) had cT4b tumors. Thirty-five patients (29%) had distant metastasis and 21 (17%) underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Thirty-four patients (28%) underwent combined resection of adjacent organs and 43 (35%) underwent lateral lymph node dissection. The median operative time was 288 min and the median blood loss was 11 ml. No patients required conversion to open surgery. The incidences of postoperative complications of grades II, III, and IV or more according to the Clavien–Dindo classification were 17.2%, 3.5%, and 0%, respectively. Seventy-three patients (60%) had pathological T4 tumors, and the incidence of positive resection margins was 4.9%. The median follow-up time was 42.9 months. The 3-year overall survival, disease-free survival, and cumulative local recurrence rates were 87.5%, 70.4%, and 4.0%, respectively.ConclusionsThe short- and long-term outcomes of robotic surgery for cT4 rectal cancer were favorable. Robotic surgery is considered to be a useful approach for cT4 rectal cancer.

Background The aim of the present study was to clarify the advantages of robotic-assisted laparoscopic lateral lymph node dissection (RALLD) for rectal cancer by comparing its short-term outcomes with those of open lateral lymph node dissection (OLLD) in a large series from a single center. In terms of RALLD for advanced lower rectal cancer, there are only a few reports with a small number of cases in retrospective, non-comparative studies. Methods From April 2010 to July 2014, a total of 177 patients underwent rectal cancer surgery with lateral lymph node dissection. Four patients who underwent conventional laparoscopic lateral lymph node dissection were excluded. Thus, 173 patients were enrolled, with 85 RALLD and 88 OLLD cases. Perioperative outcomes, postoperative complications, and pathological results were compared between the groups. Results No conversion to open surgery was necessary in the RALLD group. The rate of sphincter-preserving procedure was significantly higher in the RALLD group than in the OLLD group ( p  = 0.007). Operative time was significantly longer in the RALLD group than in the OLLD group ( p  = 0.007). Blood loss was significantly less in the RALLD group than in the OLLD group ( p  < 0.001). The rates of wound infection, small bowel obstruction, anastomotic leakage, and urinary retention were significantly lower in the RALLD group than in the OLLD group. Numbers of harvested lymph nodes and positive resection margin rates showed no significant differences. Conclusions The short-term outcomes of RALLD may be superior to those of OLLD for advanced lower rectal cancer.

BackgroundUrinary dysfunction (UD) remains a significant complication of rectal cancer surgery. In modern surgical treatment for rectal cancer, multiple operative approaches are used. Such approaches include open, laparoscopic, and robotic-assisted surgery; and multiple procedures, including anterior, intersphincteric, and abdominoperineal resection. Thus, modern surgical treatments for rectal cancer have diversified. This study aimed to identify risk factors for early UD (EUD) after total mesorectal excision (TME) and to explore the methods for decreasing postoperative EUD in diverse surgical treatments for rectal cancer.MethodsIn our retrospective cohort study, we enrolled patients with lower rectal cancer who underwent TME alone at a single high-volume cancer center between 2010 and 2017. EUD was defined as the presence of ≥ 50 mL residual urine volume. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine clinicopathological factors significantly associated with postoperative EUD.ResultsOf a total of 337 eligible patients, 32 patients (10%) had postoperative EUD. Multivariate analysis revealed that only the operative approach (laparoscopic surgery: odds ratio [OR], 8.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.94–27.14, open surgery: OR, 11.55; 95% CI 2.10–63.83) was significantly associated with an increase in postoperative EUD. Robotic-assisted surgery was associated with significant reduction in postoperative EUD.ConclusionOnly robotic-assisted surgery was inversely correlated with postoperative EUD. Robotic-assisted surgery may be a useful approach to protect urinary function in lower rectal cancer surgery.

BackgroundThe long-term outcomes of robotic-assisted laparoscopic lateral lymph node dissection (RALLD) have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to assess the oncological and long-term outcomes of RALLD for rectal cancer through comparison with those of open lateral lymph node dissection (OLLD) in a retrospective study.MethodsBetween September 2002 and October 2014, the medical data of 426 patients who underwent total mesorectal excision with lateral lymph node dissection for primary rectal cancer were collected. Of these, 115 patients were excluded after data collection (stage IV, n = 61; total pelvic exenteration, n = 31; multiple cancer, n = 20; conventional laparoscopic surgery, n = 3). Before matching, 311 patients with clinical stage II/III were analyzed. Using exact matching, patients were stratified into RALLD (n = 78) and OLLD (n = 78) groups. Pathological findings and long-term outcomes were compared between the groups.ResultsThe pathological stage and number of harvested lymph nodes showed no significant differences between the groups. The rate of positive resection margin in the RALLD group tended to be lower compared with that of the OLLD group (p = 0.059). The median follow-up duration was 54.0 months in 156 patients. The 5-year overall survival rate was 95.4 and 87.8% in the RALLD and OLLD groups, respectively (p = 0.106). The 5-year relapse-free survival rate was 79.1 and 69.9% in the RALLD and OLLD groups, respectively (p = 0.157). The 5-year local relapse-free survival rate was 98.6 and 90.9% in the RALLD and OLLD groups, respectively (p = 0.029).ConclusionsThe short- and long-term outcomes indicated that RALLD may be a useful modality for locally advanced low rectal cancer.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of robotic rectal cancer surgery and to examine the risk factors for recurrence. Methods In a high-volume center in Japan, we retrospectively enrolled patients with pStage I–III rectal cancer within 15 cm of the anal verge who underwent robotic surgery from 2011 to 2017. Almost all patients underwent upfront surgery, and lateral lymph-node dissection (LLND) was performed for patients with locally advanced lower rectal cancer. We evaluated the 5-year overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and cumulative local recurrence (LR) rates and examined the risk factors for the RFS. Results We evaluated 488 patients who underwent robotic rectal cancer surgery, including 5.1% who underwent preoperative chemoradiotherapy to obtain clear resection margins and 33.6% who underwent LLND. There were 203, 87, and 198 patients with pStage I, II, and III, respectively, and the positive resection margin rate was 1.0%. The 5-year OS, RFS, and LR rates were 95.5%, 81.7%, and 2.2%, respectively. The independent risk factors for the RFS were the presence of venous invasion, extramural tumor deposits without lymph-node structure, and pT ≥ 3. Conclusion This study demonstrated the favorable long-term outcomes of robotic rectal cancer surgery.

Purpose Anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer is a critical problem. Many risk factors have been suggested and surgical techniques have improved, but anastomotic leakage remains a major postoperative challenge. This study sought to create a nomogram for precise prediction of anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer. Methods We used data of 936 patients that had been prospectively collected by the Japanese Society for Colon and Rectal Cancer between June 2010 and February 2013. Risk factors for anastomotic leakage were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis and used to create a nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by using a bootstrapped-concordance index and calibration plots. Results Sex, preoperative serum albumin, tumor location and diameter, and simultaneous resection of other organs were identified as significantly associated factors that could be combined for accurate prediction of anastomotic leakage. We created a nomogram for anastomotic leakage by using these risk factors. The area under the curve was 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.67–0.76). The nomogram had a bootstrapped-concordance index of 0.72 and was well calibrated. Conclusions Our nomogram was a useful tool for precise prediction of anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

Background Few data are available to assess the learning curve for robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the learning curve for robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer by a surgeon at a single institute. Methods From December 2011 to August 2013, a total of 80 consecutive patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer performed by the same surgeon were included in this study. The learning curve was analyzed using the cumulative sum method. This method was used for all 80 cases, taking into account operative time. Results Operative procedures included anterior resections in 6 patients, low anterior resections in 46 patients, intersphincteric resections in 22 patients, and abdominoperineal resections in 6 patients. Lateral lymph node dissection was performed in 28 patients. Median operative time was 280 min (range 135–683 min), and median blood loss was 17 mL (range 0–690 mL). No postoperative complications of Clavien–Dindo classification Grade III or IV were encountered. We arranged operative times and calculated cumulative sum values, allowing differentiation of three phases: phase I, Cases 1–25; phase II, Cases 26–50; and phase III, Cases 51–80. Conclusions Our data suggested three phases of the learning curve in robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer. The first 25 cases formed the learning phase.

A depth of submucosal invasion (DSI) of ≥1000 μm is an important risk factor for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with submucosal invasive (pT1) colorectal cancer (CRC), according to the European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the Japanese Society for Cancer of the Colon and Rectum (JSCCR) guidelines. According to the latter, if the location of the muscularis mucosae in the invasive area is not confirmed, the DSI can be measured from the surface. In these cases, a ‘remaining intramucosal lesion’ (rIL), which is in the invasive area, is sometimes observed. To avoid over-measuring the DSI, we proposed a ‘modified DSI’ (mDSI), which excludes the rIL from the JSCCR DSI. We investigated the characteristics and effectiveness of the rIL and mDSI by grouping cases with polypoid growth (PG) and non-polypoid growth (NPG) histologically. Three hundred and thirty-nine consecutive patients with pT1 CRC were examined. LNM was detected in 37 cases. The distribution of the DSI and rIL was significantly higher in PG than in NPG cases (P<0.001). There was no difference in the mDSI distribution between the PG-/NPG-type cases. An rIL was observed in 39% (127/301) of cases, in which the location of the muscularis mucosae could not be determined or estimated and the mDIS could be estimated. In 13% (16/127) of cases, the mDSI was effective (JSCCR DSI ≥1000 and mDSI <1000 μm). Among these 16 cases, 11 (69%) did not have risk factors (mDSI, lymphovascular invasion, budding grade, or special histological types) and may have avoided unnecessary surgery.