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OVERALL SURVIVAL AND DISEASE-FREE SURVIVAL OF 
LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY FOR RECTAL CANCER 
 Pham Thai Ha1; Nguyen Xuan Hung2 
 Nguyen Quoc Dung3; Nguyen Van Xuyen4 
SUMMARY 
Objectives: To evaluate the overall survival and disease-free survival of laparoscopic surgery 
for rectal cancer. Subjects and methods: 107 patients with rectal cancer who underwent 
laparoscopic surgery, overall survival and disease-free survival after laparoscopic surgery was 
calculated using the Kaplan-Meier test. Results: The overall survival and disease-free survival 
of 12, 24 and 36 months were 98.1% and 98.1%; 94.9% and 93.8%; 83.7% and 76.9%, 
respectively. The overall survival and disease-free survival time was 43.8 ± 0.9 months and 
42.5 ± 1.0 months. Conclusion: Laparoscopy has the advantages of minimal invasion and 
prolongs the overall survival and disease-free survival. 
* Keywords: Rectal cancer; Overall survival; Disease-free survival; Laparoscopic surgery. 
INTRODUCTION 
Surgery is the primary treatment for 
rectal cancer, including radical surgery 
and temporary surgery such as open 
colon surgery for late rectal cancer. 
Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal was 
started in 1991 by Jacobs. Laparoscopic 
surgery indications for rectal cancer are 
not limited to age but need full evaluation 
of respiratory function and circulatory 
function [2, 3, 4, 8]. 
Applying laparoscopic techniques to 
rectal resection for cancer is a new issue, 
leading to effect and advantage in both 
surgery and oncology. With regard to 
postoperative recovery outcomes, the 
laparoscopic surgery group had clear 
advantages in time to flatus, and ambulation 
and hospital stays compared with the open 
group. Laparoscopy has the advantages of 
minimal invasion and fast recovery, which 
is in agreement with many earlier clinical 
studies [6, 7, 8, 9, 10]. 
Green B.L et al studied 794 colorectal 
cancer patients from 27 UK centres, 
which were randomized to laparoscopic 
or open surgery in a 2:1 ratio with median 
follow-up of all patients was 62.9 months. 
The results showed that there were no 
statistically significant differences between 
open and laparoscopic groups in overall 
survival (78.3 months; 95%CI: 65.8 - 106.6) 
versus 82.7 (95%CI: 69.1 - 94.8) months, 
respectively; p = 0.780) and disease-free 
survival (89.5 months; 95%CI: 67.1 - 121.7) 
versus 77.0 months (95%CI: 63.3 - 94.0); 
p = 0.589) [8]. 
1. Thanhba Distric Hospital 
2. Vietduc Hospital 
3. Friendship Hospital 
4. 103 Military Hospital 
Corresponding author: Pham Thai Ha (
[email protected]) 
 Date received: 14/12/2018 
 Date accepted: 13/02/2019 
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Now, laparoscopic resection is used 
widely in the management of rectal 
cancer. However, the data on long-term 
outcomes of rectal cancer are limited. 
Therefore, the study was conducted with 
the aim: To evaluate the overall survival 
and disease-free survival of laparoscopic 
surgery for rectal cancer. 
SUBJECTS AND METHODS 
1. Subjects. 
107 patients with rectal cancer who 
underwent laparoscopic surgery at Vietduc 
Hospital from 6 - 2013 to 06 - 2015. 
* Patient selection criteria: 
- Patient was diagnosed rectal cancer, 
that has the distance from lower margin of 
tumor to the anus margin < 15 cm. 
- Histopathology diagnosis was rectal 
cancer and laparoscopic radical surgery 
for rectal cancer. 
2. Methods. 
- Design study: Prospective, longitudinal 
comparisons to evaluate the overall survival 
and disease-free survival of laparoscopic 
surgery for rectal cancer. 
- Patients undergoing laparoscopic 
surgery for rectal cancer. 
- The overall survival and disease-free 
survival was calculated using the Kaplan-
Meier algorithm. 
RESULTS 
Follow-up of 107 rectal cancer patients 
after laparoscopic surgery with an average 
duration of 29.3 ± 8.3 months (2 - 47 months), 
we found the recurrence rate was 15.0%. 
Mean recurrence time was 26.0 ± 9.8 months 
(7 - 47 months) and mortality was 9.3%. 
Table 1: The overall survival and disease-free survival of rectal cancer patients. 
Overall survival Disease-free survival 
Time (month) Mortality 
(n = 10) 
Rate (%) 
(X ± SE) 
Recurrence 
(n = 16) 
Rate (%) 
(X ± SE) 
12 2 98.1 ± 1.3 2 98.1 ± 1.3 
24 5 94.9 ± 2.2 6 93.8 ± 2.4 
36 10 83.7 ± 5.5 15 76.9 ± 6.0 
47 - - 16 - 
X ± SE (95%CI) 43.8 ± 0.9 (42.0 - 45.7) 42.5 ± 1.0 (40.3 - 44.6) 
- The overall survival of 12, 24 and 36 months were 98.1%. 94.9% and 83.7%, 
respectively. The overall survival time was 43.8 ± 0.9 months. 
- The disease-free survival of 12, 24 and 36 months were 98.1%; 93.8% and 76.9%, 
respectively. The disease-free survival time was 42.5 ± 1.0 months. 
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Chart 1: The overall survival of rectal cancer patients. 
Chart 2: The disease-free survival of rectal cancer patients. 
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DISCUSSION 
To evaluate the outcome of cancer 
surgery, the postoperative survival time 
should be assessed. The overall survival 
and disease-free survival of rectal cancer 
patients were longer or shorter depends 
on the stage of the disease, the tumor's 
tissue characteristics, and supportive 
treatments [3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. 
Huang C et al (2015) analyzed 492 
rectal cancer patients who underwent the 
laparoscopic surgery and 424 cases in 
open surgery. Overall survival rate of 
open surgery and laparoscopic surgery 
for 1, 3 and 5 years were 94.0% and 
93.6% (p = 0.534), 78.1% and 80.9% 
(p = 0.284) and 75.2% and 77.0% 
(p = 0.416), respectively. Laparoscopy as 
an operation for rectal cancer was safe, 
produced better immediate outcomes. 
Long-term survival of laparoscopy revealed 
that it was similar to the open operation [9]. 
Yang Z.F et al (2018) studied 211 pT4 
colorectal cancer patients, including 
101 cases in the laparoscopy group and 
110 cases in the open surgery group 
[including 15 cases (12.9%) of conversion 
to open surgery]. The 3-and 5-year overall 
survival rates were 74.9% and 60.5%, 
respectively for the laparoscopy group 
and 62.4% and 46.5%, respectively, 
for the open group (p = 0.060). The 3-and 
5-year disease-free survival rates were 
68.0% and 57.3%, respectively, for the 
laparoscopy group were and 55.8% and 
39.8%, respectively, for the open group 
(p = 0.053) [0]. 
We monitored 107 rectal cancer patients 
with a duration of 29.8 ± 8.5 months 
(1 - 47 months). The overall survival of 
12, 24 and 36 months were 98.1%, 94.9% 
and 83.7%, respectively. The overall 
survival time was 43.8 ± 0.9 months. The 
disease-free survival of 12, 24 and 36 
months were 98.1%; 93.8% and 76.9%, 
respectively. The disease-free survival time 
was 42.5 ± 1.0 months. This result was 
similar to some other studies’ (table 2). 
Table 2: Overall survival compared with some studies. 
Author Surgery n Overall survival time (month) 
LAR 82.7 months Green B.L (2013) [8] (62.9 months: 
22.9 - 92.8) OP 
794 
78.3 months (p = 0.78) 
LAR 492 3 years: 78.1% 
Huang C et al (2015) [9] 
MM 424 3 years: 80.9% 
Trinh Viet Thong (2008) [7] LAR 78 22.6 months 
Mai Duc Hung (2012) [5] LAR 138 51.0 months (3 years: 79.7%) 
Le Manh Ha (2013) [4] LAR 106 2 years: 83.9% 
Nguyen Minh An (2013) [1] LAR 92 68.7 ± 4.7 months 
Pham Van Binh (2013) [2] LAR 135 33.3 months (3 years: 73.33%) 
Tran Anh Cuong (2017) [3] OP 105 48.9 ± 0.9 (3 years: 91.7%) 
Truong Vinh Quy (2018) [6] LAR 52 52.7 ± 3.9 months 
Research results (2018) LAR 118 43.8 ± 0.9 (3 years: 83.7%) 
(LAP: Laparoscopic surgery; OP: Open surgery) 
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CONCLUSION 
Follow-up of 107 rectal cancer patients 
after laparoscopic surgery with an average 
duration of 29.3 ± 8.3 months (2 - 47 months), 
we found that recurrence rate of 15.0% 
with recurrence time was 26.0 ± 9.8 months. 
The mortality rate was 9.3%. 
The overall survival and disease-free 
survival of 12, 24 and 36 months were 
98.1% and 98.1%; 94.9% and 93.8%; 
83.7% and 76.9%, respectively. The overall 
survival and disease-free survival time was 
43.8 ± 0.9 months and 42.5 ± 1.0 months. 
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