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Transanal Versus Laparoscopic Total Mesorectal Excision for Rectal Cancer

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Rectal Neoplasms Malignant
Surgery
Interventions
Procedure: TaTME
Procedure: LpTME
Registration Number
NCT02966483
Lead Sponsor
Sun Yat-sen University
Brief Summary

Laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer has been successfully proven to be a non-inferior alternative regarding resection quality, and oncological outcomes of patients as compared to open surgery in mangy clinical trails. Moreover, laparoscopic surgery is advantageous over open surgery with regard to operative invasiveness, patient's recovery, and wound related complications. Thus, laparoscopic surgery has gained great popularity over the past decades. However, specifically for mid and low rectal cancer, laparoscopic surgery is technically demanding, which sometimes leads to high morbidity and unsatisfactory resection quality, especially in challenging cases such as bulky mesorectum, enlarged prostate, irradiated pelvis, etc. Under this circumstance, transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) , the so called "down-to-up" alternative, has emerged as a promising solution to these problems in recent years and more and more small studies have proven the feasibility and advantages of this technique, making it become a hot topic among both literature and conferences. However, TaTME is still at early birth, higher-level evidences, either multicentric, or comparative study with conventional surgery is strikingly lacking. Thus the investigators conduct this multicentre randomised clinical trial, comparing transanal TME versus laparoscopic TME for mid and low rectal cancer, aiming to prove the hypothesis that TaTME may achieve better resection quality and result in non-inferior oncological outcome, as well as short term operative morbidity and mortality.

Detailed Description

Background:In recent years, transanal mesorectal excision (TaTME) has emerged as a promising surgical alternative for rectal cancer, especially for mid and low rectal cancer. Theoretically, TaTME holds the potential advantage of providing better access to mobilize the distal rectum, and thus could achieve better pathologic outcomes, such as lower involved circumferential margin (CRM) and incomplete resected mesorectum, which could translate into better oncological outcome for the patients in the long term. However, until now, the feasibility and the non-inferiority (compared with laparoscopic total mesorectal excision, LpTME) of this technique has only been validated in studies with limitations of small sample size, retrospective nature.

Study Objective:This study aims to evaluate the TaTME technique compared with conventional laparoscopic rectal surgery, focusing on resection quality, as well as long-term survival results.

Study design This study is a prospective, multi-center, randomized, open-label, parallel group trial. The randomisation ratio of TaTME over LpTME will be 1:1. A central electronic data capture (EDC) system will be utilized for randomization, electronic CRF and data collection. All comparative analyses will be conducted on an "intention to treat" basis.

Sample size: Sample-size calculation of this trial based on 3-year DFS and 5-year OS; but the sample size according to 5-year OS was larger than that based on 3-year DFS. The expected 5-year OS among clinical stage I-III rectal cancer patients treated with laTME was 77·4%. Allowing a difference of 10% as the non-inferiority margin, 910 patients would be required to sufficiently declare taTME noninferior to laTME in 5-year OS based on a log-rank test with an α error of 2·5% (in a two-sided test) and power of 80%. Assuming a dropout rate of 20%, a total of 1114 patients were planned to enroll for this trial.

Study Endpoints:The primary end point of this study is 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate and a 5-year overall survival (OS) rate. Secondary endpoints include: 1) resection quality, mainly including circumferential involvement rate, and completeness of mesorectum. Resected specimen was pathologically processed and assessed at each center by trained and qualified pathologists independently.2)short term operative results such as morbidity and mortality, etc.; 3) long term oncological outcome such as local recurrence, and overall survival. Besides, functional outcome and quality of life are also evaluated.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1114
Inclusion Criteria

histologically proven rectal adenocarcinoma;

tumor located below the level of peritoneal reflection ;

diagnosis of rectal cancer amenable to curative surgery;

no evidence of distant metastases;

preoperative tumor stage within III;

no threaten mesorectal fascia (MRF)after neoadjuvant therapy;

no contraindication to laparoscopic surgery;

without history of other malignancies;

Written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

could not perform sphincter preservation surgery (requiring a Mile's procedure);

T4b tumor invading adjacent organs;

T1 tumors that can be locally resected

should take neoadjuvant therapy but refuse it;

recurrent cancer;

concurrent or previous diagnosis of invasive cancer within 5 years;

emergent surgery with intestinal obstruction or perforation;

history of colorectal surgery;

fecal incontinence;

history of inflammatory bowel disease;

with contraindications to general anaesthesia(ASA class 4 or 5);

pregnant or breast-feeding;

history of mental disorder

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Transanal Total Mesorectal ExcisionTaTMEThe rectum is mobilized and resected transanally (from bottom to up) according to TME principles, via transanal platform (either rigid or flexible platform).An ideal TaTME is defined as the extraperitoneal portion of the rectum being mobilized from below.
Laparoscopic Total Mesorectal ExcisionLpTMEThe traditional laparoscopic TME (LpTME) was performed via standard laparoscopic techniques, including multiple trocars and conventional laparoscopic instruments.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Disease-free survival3 years

Disease-free survival

Overall survival5 years

Overall survival

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Overall survival10 years

Overall survival

Number of retrieved lymph nodes3 years

Number of retrieved lymph nodes

Morbidity rate1 years

Morbidity rate

Mortality rate1 years

Mortality rate

Positive circumferential resection margin (CRM)3 years

Involved CRM (tumor cells \<1mm)

Mesorectal completeness3 years

The quality of the mesorectum or TME specimen (complete;nearly complete; incomplete)

Anorectal function outcomes3 years

To evaluate defecating function with Wexner score

Sexual functional outcomes3 years

To evaluate sexual function with IIEF(International Index of Erectile Function) questionnaire

The patient's Quality of life: EORTC QLQ-30 questionnaire3 years

To evaluate quality of life with EORTC QLQ-30 questionnaire

Trial Locations

Locations (16)

Department of General Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

🇨🇳

Beijing, Beijing, China

Department of General Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical university

🇨🇳

Chongqing, Chongqing, China

Department of colorectal surgery, the Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University

🇨🇳

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Nanfang Hospital

🇨🇳

Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

The Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University

🇨🇳

Zhanjiang, Guangdong, China

Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University

🇨🇳

Zunyi, Guizhou, China

The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University

🇨🇳

Changsha, Hunan, China

The First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China

🇨🇳

Hengyang, Hunan, China

Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University

🇨🇳

Changchun, Jilin, China

Department of Colorectal Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University

🇨🇳

Shenyang, Liaoning, China

The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University

🇨🇳

Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine

🇨🇳

Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University,

🇨🇳

Shanghai, Shanghai, China

Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery,The Affiliated Nanchong Central Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College

🇨🇳

Nanchong, Sichuan, China

Department of gastrointestinal surgery, the Second People's Hospital of Yibin

🇨🇳

Yibin, Sichuan, China

XinQiao Hospital of Army Medical University

🇨🇳

Chongqing, China

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