FRIDAY, April 9, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer offers quicker patient recovery times and has a similar five-year survival rate compared with conventional surgery, according to a University of Hong Kong study in this week's issue of the journal The Lancet.
Researchers compared the effects of laparoscopic and conventional surgery on about 400 patients with colorectal cancer in the upper rectum and sigmoid colon over a 10-year period. They found the five-year survival rate was 76 percent for laparoscopy and 73 percent for conventional surgery.
While operating time was much longer for laparoscopic surgery than conventional surgery, recovery time was much shorter for patients who had laparoscopy. The study also found that laparoscopy was more expensive than conventional surgery.
"Laparoscopic resection of rectosigmoid carcinoma does not jeopardize survival and disease control of patients. The justification for adoption of laparoscopic technique would depend on the perceived value of its effectiveness in improving short-term post-operative outcomes," researcher Dr. Ka Lau Leung said in a prepared statement.
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about colorectal cancer.
