A comparison of laparoscopically assisted and open colectomy

Available here: PMID 15141043

Commentary

 * Summary of conclusions: Laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer results in equivalent cancer outcomes when compared to open colectomy, but results in a quicker recovery.


 * This study is sometimes referred to as the COST trial for the authors: Clinical Outcomes of Surgical Therapy (COST) Study Group, which is a fairly large group of surgeons. The lead author and the Principal Investigator of the study is Heidi Nelson, a colorectal surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. The members of the writing committee of the COST Study Group are listed in the left margin of the first page of the manuscript.
 * Sample size: about 430 surgeries of each type, spread across more than 40 institutions.
 * Before this paper, there was considerable doubt whether cancer of the colon could be treated well by laparoscopic surgery. Most surgeons would not do a laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer because of fear that it was inferior treatment.  This was a seminal paper in changing that attitude.  Other randomized trials have mostly confirmed these results.  Still in 2014, most colon surgery for cancer is not done laparoscopically because of technical challenges.
 * An estimated 40% of colectomies are done laparoscopicically according to this wikipedia article which cites PMID 22868361.

A significant earlier study is this one:
 * Lacy, AM; Garcia-Valdecasas, JC; Delgado, S; et al. Laparoscopy-assisted colectomy versus open colectomy for treatment of non-metastatic colon cancer: a randomised trial. Lancet 2002; 359-2224.
 * Relationships:

Later works citing this study or on the same subject (each of which could have its own wiki page):
 * The Colon cancer Laparoscopic or Open Resection Study group. Laparoscopic surgery versus open surgery for colon cancer : short term outcomes of a randomized trial. Lancet Oncology, 2005, 10.1016/S1470-2045.3
 * Jayne DG, Guillou PJ, Thorpe H, et al. Randomized trial of laparoscopic-assisted resection of colorectal carcinoma: 3-year results of the UK MRC CLASICC Trial Group. J Clin Oncol 2007; 25: 3061-8.
 * Fleshman J, Sargent DJ, Green E, et al. Laparoscopic colectomy for cancer is not inferior to open surgery based on 5-year data from the COST Study Group trial. Ann Surg 2007; 246: 655-62.
 * Bonjer HJ, Hop WC, Nelson H, Sargent DJ, Lacy AM, Castells A, et al. Laparoscopically assisted vs open colectomy for colon cancer: a meta-analysis. Arch Surg 2007; 142: 298-303.
 * Schwenk W, Haase O, Neudecker J, Müller JM. Short term benefits for laparoscopic colorectal resection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005 Jul 20;(3):CD003145.
 * Jackson TD, Kaplan GG, Arena G, et al. Laparoscopic versus open resection for colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of oncologic outcomes. J Am Coll Surg 2007; 204: 439-46.
 * Short term benefits for laparoscopic colorectal resection. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2005, Issue 2.
 * Young-Fadok TM, Fanelli RD, Price RR, Earle DB. Laparoscopic resection of curable colon and rectal cancer: an evidence-based review. Surg Endosc 2007; 21(7): 1063-8.