Outcomes of laparoscopic colon cancer surgery in a population-based cohort in British Columbia: are they as good as the clinical trials?

BackgroundRandomized controlled trials have shown equivalent outcomes for laparoscopic-assisted colectomy (LAC) and open colectomy (OC) when performed by well-trained surgeons experienced in both techniques. Our goal was to evaluate the outcomes of LAC at a population level.MethodsUsing the prospectively collected Gastrointestinal Cancer Outcomes Unit database from the British Columbia Cancer Agency, short- and long-term outcomes in patients with colon cancer treated with LAC and OC were compared from 2003 to 2008 inclusive.ResultsThere was a statistically significant increase in the proportion of LAC from 2003 to 2008 (P < .001). LAC was more likely to be performed in the elective setting (P < .001) and for smaller tumors (P < .001). A similar proportion of patients had a minimum of 12 lymph nodes identified by pathology (58% vs 60%, P = not significant). Disease-free survival was similar for the 2 groups after adjusting for stage, emergency presentation, and adjuvant chemotherapy. There was no difference in overall survival.ConclusionsThe introduction of LAC for colon cancer in British Columbia outside of optimized clinical trial conditions appears to be effective and safe.