1.A multicenter study on learning curve of laparoscopic transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer
Meng LI ; Mingyang REN ; Qing XU ; Jianzhi CHEN ; Hongyu ZHANG ; Yi XIAO ; Zhicong FU ; Qingtong ZHANG ; Hongwei YAO ; Quan WANG ; Zhongtao ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2021;20(3):306-314
Objective:To investigate the learning curve of laparoscopic transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) for rectal cancer operated by one or two surgery teams.Methods:The retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Based on the concept of real-world research, the clinical data of 1 458 patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME from 44 medical centers who were registered in the Chinese taTME registry collaborative (CTRC) database from May 2010 to May 2020 were collected. The 1 458 patients were divided into cohorts with one surgery team or two surgery teams according to the operation method. Patients with one surgery team underwent taTME by transabdominal operation and then by transanal operation. Patients with two surgery teams underwent taTME by transabdominal and transanal operation simultaneously with duration of the simutaneous operation time ≥30 minutes. The entire surgical process of patients with two surgery teams is not required to be performed by two surgery teams simutaneously. The clinical data were collected from the medical centers with similar operation amount according to the operation time sequence to analyze the difference between different operation stages and explore the learning curve. The operation time was taken as the parameter to carry out cumulative sum analysis and draw the learning curve of laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME in each medical center. The clinicopathological characteristics of patients from two medical centers with the largest difference in learning curves were analyzed. Observation indicators: (1) screening results of clinical data; (2) clinical data collection of patients with one surgery team; (3) surgical situations of laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME from the one surgery team in different operation stages; (4) learning curve of the one surgery team; (5) clinical data collection of patients with two surgery teams; (6) surgical situations of laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME from the two surgery teams; (7) learning curve of the two surgery teams. The cumulative sum was calculated by the CUSUM=∑i=1nXi-U, where Xi represented the operation time of each taTME, U represented the average operation time of all cases, and n represented the operation number. Fitting process was conducted on scatter plot of learning curves. Taking the apex of learning curve as the boundary, the learning curve was divided into two stages. The abscissa corresponding to the apex of learning curve was the number of operations that needed to be performed to cross the learning curve. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD. Comparison between two groups was conducted using the t test and comparison between multiple groups was conducted using the ANOVA. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M( P25,P75), and comparison between groups was conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test. Comparison of ordinal data was analyzed using the rank sum test. Count data were analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability. Results:(1) Screening results of clinical data:the clinical data of 661 patients from 7 medical centers with one surgery team and two surgery teams were collected. (2) Clinical data collection of patients with one surgery team: the clinical data of 312 patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME from 5 medical centers were collected including 42 cases in the number 2 medical center, 97 cases in the number 20 medical center, 82 cases in the number 33 medical center, 35 cases in the number 37 medical center and 56 cases in the number 39 medical center, respectively. (3) Surgical situations of laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME from the one surgery team in different operation stages: three medical centers including the number 2, number 37 and number 39 medical center with close operation volume provided the clinical data of cases distributed in five operation stages. Among the five operation stages, the proportion of high-quality operation of total mesorectal excision (TME) was ≥17/18, the incidence of postoperative complications was ≤13.3%(4/30) and the incidence of anastomotic leakage was ≤10.0%(3/30). There was no significant difference in the TME quality, postoperative complications or anastomotic leakage among the five operation stages ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the operation time among the five operation stages ( χ2=6.950, P>0.05). (4) Learning curve of the one surgery team: the number of operations corresponding to the turning point of learning curve in number 2 and number 20 medical center was 22 and 39, respectively. The number of operations corresponding to the turning points of learning curve in number 33 and number 37 medical center was 15, 66 and 10, 28, respectively. The number of operations corresponding to the turning point of learning curve in number 39 medical center was 20. The overall curve of number 20 medical center was in line with the trend of learning curve and 39 cases of operations was the minimum number needed to cross the learning curve. The biggest difference in learning curve was shown between the number 20 and number 33 medical center. Cases with the gender of male or female, age, body mass index, cases classified as stage 1, stage 2, stage 3 or stage 4 of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Classification, cases with neoadjuvant therapy, duration of postoperative hospital stay of the number 20 medical center were 77, 20, (60±10)years, 24 kg/m 2(22 kg/m 2, 26 kg/m 2), 1, 88, 8, 0, 8, 8, 11 days (9 days, 13 days), respectively, versus 51, 31, (64±11)years, 23 kg/m 2(21 kg/m 2, 26 kg/m 2), 0, 35, 43, 1, 31, 16 days (13 day, 21 day) of number 33 medical center, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two medical centers ( χ2 =6.442, t=-2.265, Z=-2.032, -6.870, χ2 =22.120, Z=-8.408, P<0.05). (5) Clinical data collection of the two surgery teams: the clinical data of 259 patients undergoing laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME from 5 medical centers were collected, including 46 cases in the number 2 medical center, 47 cases in the number 8 medical center, 78 cases in the number 18 medical center, 43 cases in the number 33 medical center and 45 cases in the number 44 medical center, respectively. (6) Surgical situations of laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME from the two surgery teams: four medical centers including the number 2, number 8, number 33 and number 44 medical center with close operation volume provided the clinical data of cases distributed in four operation stages. Among the four operation stages, the proportion of high-quality operation of TME was ≥50.0%(13/26), the incidence of postoperative complications was ≤35.0%(14/40) and the incidence of anastomotic leakage was ≤22.5%(9/40). There was no significant difference in the TME quality, postoperative complications or operation time among the four operation stages ( χ2 =3.252, 4.733, 8.848, P>0.05). There was a significant difference in the incidence of anastomotic leakage among the four operation stages ( P<0.05). (7) Learning curve of the two surgery teams: the number of operations corresponding to the turning point of learning curve in number 2 and number 8 medical center was 28 and 16, respectively. The number of operations corresponding to the turning points of learning curve in number 18, number 33 and number 44 medical center was 12 and 58, 10 and 36, 14 and 36, respectively. The overall curve of number 2 medical center was in line with the trend of learning curve and 28 cases of operations was the minimum number needed to cross the learning curve. The biggest difference in learning curve was shown between the number 2 and number 33 medical center. The age and cases with tumor in stage T0 and (or) Tis, stage T1, stage T2, stage T3 or stage T4 of the T staging of the number 2 and number 33 medical center were (60±12)years, 3, 1, 9, 11, 20 and (65±10)years, 2, 3, 22, 15, 0, respectively, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two medical centers ( t=-2.280, Z=-4.033, P<0.05). Conclusion:Thirty-nine cases of operations was the minimum number for the one surgery team to cross the learning curve of laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME and 28 cases of operations was the minimum number for the two surgery teams to cross the learning curve of laparoscopic rectal cancer taTME.
2.Research progress in cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal metastasis of colorectal cancer
Zhicong FU ; Jianwen LIU ; Jingwen FAN
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2019;18(8):747-752
Colorectal cancer peritoneal metastasis has traditionally been considered as one of the end-stage manifestations.Recently,cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy achieved promising results in prolonging survival of patients and reducing tumor recurrences.Many guidelines suggested that the combination of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is an acceptable treatment for peritoneal metastasis.This article highlighted the treatment method,reviewed the latest evidence in treatment of colorectal cancer peritoneal metastasis and explored future direction.
3.Analysis of specimen quality of intersphincteric resection for rectal cancer in the Chinese Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision Registry Collaborative database: a nationwide registered study
Pengyu WEI ; Mingyang REN ; Quan WANG ; Hong ZHANG ; Chienchih CHEN ; Qing XU ; Yi XIAO ; Dan MA ; Zhicong FU ; Dehai XIONG ; Yang LI ; Hongwei YAO ; Zhongtao ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2024;23(6):819-825
Objective:To investigate the specimen quality of intersphincteric resection with transabdominal transanal mixed approach for rectal cancer in the Chinese Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision Registry Collaborative (CTRC) database.Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. Based on the concept of real-world research, the clinicopathological data of 281 pati-ents with rectal cancer in the CTRC database who underwent intersphincteric resection with trans-abdominal transanal mixed approach in 19 medical centers, including the Beijing Friendship Hospital of Capital Medical University et al, from November 15,2017 to December 31,2023 were collected. There were 196 males and 85 females, aged 61(range, 27-87)years. Observation indicators: (1) preoperative examinations; (2) neoadjuvant therapy; (3) postoperative examinations; (4) analysis of influencing factors for positive circumferential margin in surgical specimen of intersphincteric resec-tion for rectal cancer. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were described as absolute numbers or percentages. The chi-square test was used for univariate analysis. Logistic regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results:(1) Preoperative examinations. Of the 281 patients, 234 cases underwent preoperative pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examina-tion. There were 2 cases in clinical stage T0, 3 cases in clinical stage T1, 58 cases in clinical stage T2, 137 cases in clinical stage T3, 24 cases in clinical stage T4, 3 cases in clinical stage Tx, 7 cases missing clinical T staging data. There were 87 cases in clinical stage N0, 68 cases in clinical stage N1, 60 cases in clinical stage N2, 9 cases in clinical stage Nx, 10 cases missing clinical N staging data. There were 30 cases with mesorectal fascia invasion, 53 cases with extramural venous invasion. The distance from lower margin of tumor to anal margin was 41.9(range, 1.0-80.0)mm. (2) Neoadjuvant therapy. Of the 281 patients, 125 cases underwent neoadjuvant therapy, including 39 cases receiving chemo-therapy alone, 6 cases receiving short-course simultaneous chemoradiotherapy, 5 cases receiving short-course simultaneous chemoradiotherapy and delayed surgery, 48 cases receiving long-course simultaneous chemoradiotherapy, 2 cases receiving other treatments, and 25 cases missing neoadju-vant therapy data. (3) Postoperative examinations. Of the 281 patients, 249 cases achieved R 0 resection, 9 cases achieved R 1 resection, and there were 23 cases missing surgical margin data. The maximum tumor diameter, the number of lymph nodes harvested and positive rate of vessel carcinoma embolus were 30.0(range, 0.5-200.0)mm, 13(range, 0-70) and 27.55%(73/265) in 281 patients. There were 252 patients with circumferential margin records, showing positive in 15 cases, with a positive rate as 5.95%(15/252). The minimum distance from deep part of tumor to circumferential margin was 7.0(range, 0-150.0)mm in 252 patients. There were 85 cases with distal margin records, showing positive in 1 case, and the distance from lower margin of tumor to distal margin was 10.0(range, 0-202.0)mm. There were 273 patients with specimen integrity records, which showed intact specimen in 208 cases, fair specimen in 58 cases, poor specimen in 4 cases, unevaluated specimen in 3 cases. There were 7 cases with rectal perforation. Of the 281 patients, cases in pathological stage T0, Tis, T1, T2, T3, T4 were 14, 5, 22, 107, 113, 12, respectively, and there were 8 cases missing pathological T staging data. Of the 281 patients, cases in pathological stage N0, N1a, N1b, N1c, N2a, N2b were 176, 27, 27, 11,20, 12, respectively, and there were 8 cases missing pathological N staging data. Of the 281 patients, there were 4 cases with distant metastasis, 262 cases without distant metastasis, 5 cases not evaluated, and 10 cases missing tumor metastasis data. Of the 125 patients undergoing neoadjuvant therapy, there were 85 cases with tumor regression grade records, including 16 cases as grade 1, 27 cases as grade 2, 19 cases as grade 3, 15 cases as grade 4, 8 cases as grade 5. (4) Analysis of influencing factors for positive circumferential margin in surgical specimen of intersphincteric resection for rectal cancer. Results of univariate analysis showed that preoperative T staging on preoperative pelvic MRI, mesorectal fascia invasion, extramural venous invasion, pathological T staging, and pathological N staging were related factors for positive circumferential margin in surgical specimen of intersphincteric resection for rectal cancer ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Intersph-incteric resection with transabdominal transanal mixed approach has good specimen quality and low positive rate of surgical margin. T staging on preoperative pelvic MRI may be related to positive circumferential margin after intersphincteric resection for rectal cancer.