
“I think it’s essential that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”
This trial compared keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery with standard open surgery for bowel (colorectal) cancer.
When this trial was done, surgery for bowel cancer was usually ‘open surgery’. This involves making a cut in the abdomen (tummy). ‘Keyhole surgery’ is done through much smaller cuts in the abdomen. The surgeon uses a camera (laparoscope) to see inside the body to remove the cancer. Although the keyhole operation takes longer than open surgery, patients don’t spend as long recovering and there are fewer side effects.
The aims of this trial were to find out
The researchers found that keyhole surgery is as useful as open surgery for all stages of bowel cancer.
The trial recruited 794 patients with bowel cancer
The researchers looked at whose cancer had come back, how many people were alive 3 years after treatment and quality of life. They found no difference between the 2 treatment groups.
We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Professor PJ Guillou
Medical Research Council (MRC)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
“I think it’s essential that people keep signing up to these type of trials to push research forward.”