Laparoscopic surgery in patients diagnosed with clinical N2 colon cancer

PurposeThe benefits of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer have been well established. Several randomized controlled trials have demonstrated similar oncological outcomes between laparoscopic and open surgery for colon cancer. However, whether or not laparoscopic surgery is acceptable in patients with clinical N2 colon cancer is unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the safety and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for clinical N2 colon cancer.MethodsThis retrospective study assessed a prospective database and identified 262 consecutive patients with clinical N2 colon cancer who underwent either laparoscopic or open primary resection between 2000 and 2016. After propensity-score matching, 162 patients were analyzed. The primary outcome of interest was the 3-year recurrence-free survival rate, and the secondary outcome of interest was the postoperative complication rate.ResultsThe 3-year recurrence-free survival rate did not differ markedly between the laparoscopic and open surgery groups (77.4% vs. 76.5%, p=0.620). In addition, the incidence of postoperative complications did not differ markedly between the laparoscopic and open surgery groups (16.6% vs. 24.0%, p=0.317).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that laparoscopic surgery is safe and effective for clinical N2 colon cancer. Laparoscopic resection can be considered in patients diagnosed with clinical N2 colon cancer.