Long-term oncological outcomes of single-port laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer.

BACKGROUND

We retrospectively reviewed our consecutive experience from the introduction of single-port laparoscopic surgery (SPS) for colon cancer, and its 5-year oncological outcomes are evaluated.

METHODS

A total of 288 patients (140 males) with a mean age of 71.5 years were treated with the single-port laparoscopic colectomy for stage I, II and III colon cancers. Exclusion criteria of SPS were patients with unresolved bowel obstruction, T4b tumour, tumour perforation and severe medical illness.

RESULTS

In 20 patients (6.9%), we inserted an extra port mainly to transect the rectum. The median follow-up period was 52 months. The 5-year relapse-free survival rates in stage I, II and III patients were 95.8%, 80.2% and 61.6%, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rates for stage I, II and III patients were 97.4%, 85.3% and 72.9%, respectively. The 5-year cancer-specific survival rates in patients diagnosed pathologically T1, T2, T3 and T4 were 100%, 100%, 92.1% and 73.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

SPS colectomy can be applied to the treatment of colon cancer with good long-term oncological outcomes. However, we should pay more attention when we treat the pathologically diagnosed T4 tumours.