WOUND RECURRENCE FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPIC COLON-CANCER RESECTION - RESULTS OF THE OF-COLON-AND-RECTAL-SURGEONS-LAPAROSCOPIC-REGISTRY

INTRODUCTION: Multiple case reports have suggested that laparoscopic r esection of colon cancer may alter the pattern or incidence of cancer recurrence. All reports lack a significant denominator to evaluate the incidence of surgical wound recurrence. We hypothesized that wound re currence incidence is not increased by laparoscopic resection of colon cancer. METHODS: A prospective registry was initiated under the auspi ces of The American Society of Ccolon and Rectal Surgeons, American Co llege of Surgeons, and Society of American Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons in 1992. Patients having laparoscopic colon resection were v oluntarily entered and followed until June 1995. Recurrences were eval uated by the primary surgeon and reported to the registry. RESULTS: A total of 504 patients treated for cancer were identified in the regist ry. A minimum follow-up of one year was obtained for 480 of 493 evalua ble patients (97.4 percent). Wound recurrence was identified in five p atients (1.1 percent). Recurrence status was unknown in 18 patients (3 .8 percent). CONCLUSION: Wound recurrence rates appear to be low. Alth ough length of follow-up is limited, patterns of recurrence from previ ous studies suggest that 80 percent of recurrences should have occurre d within one year. Given the limitations of a Phase II study, the hypo thesis that recurrence rate is low is supported. However, prospective randomized trials are needed to establish if any difference in wound r ecurrence rates after laparoscopic or open resection of colorectal can cer exists.