Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision vs Robotic Total Mesorectal Excision

Official title

A Prospective, Randomized, Parallel-Controlled, Superiority Clinical Study Comparing Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision (taTME) and Robot-Assisted Total Mesorectal Excision (RTME) in the Treatment of Low Rectal Cancer

Overview

TME remains standard treatment for rectal cancer. Both Robotic TME and taTME are innovative surgical techniques with potential advantages in low rectal cancer. To date, no clinical studies have directly compared the conversion and complication rates between taTME and RTME in this population. Therefore, the investigators propose to conduct a prospective, randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial comparing taTME with RTME for low rectal cancer, aiming to provide high-level evidence for surgical decision-making and benefit more patients.

Detailed description

Both RTME and taTME are innovative surgical techniques with potential advantages in low rectal cancer. Intraoperative conversion rate is a key safety metric. In low rectal cancer, changes in surgical approach not only affect resection outcomes but also sphincter preservation.To date, no clinical studies have directly compared the conversion and complication rates between taTME and RTME in this population. Therefore, the investigators propose to conduct a prospective, randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial comparing taTME with RTME for low rectal cancer, aiming to provide high-level evidence for surgical decision-making and benefit more patients. The primary indicator in this study is intraoperative conversion rate. Definition in each group as follows: During transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME), if the procedure cannot be completed due to difficulty in transanal operation, conversion to open abdominal surgery is required to complete TME resection, allowing better operative access, organ preservation, and tumor clearance. During robot-assisted total mesorectal excision (rTME), if the transabdominal approach fails to achieve bowel transection or digestive reconstruction, conversion to transanal or open abdominal surgery is required to complete the procedure, ensuring operability, organ preservation, and tumor clearance.

Interventions

• Procedure robotic surgery vs transanal total mesorectal excsion
  This study is designed to investigate the safety and superiority of transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) in the treatment of rectal cancer compared with robot-assisted total mesorectal excision (rTME)

Primary outcome measures

• Intraoperative Conversion Rate [Time frame: at the end of operation]

Secondary outcome measures (3)

• 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) [Time frame: three years after the operation]
• 3-Year OS [Time frame: 3 years after the operation]
• operative time [Time frame: 1 day after the operation]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:Newly diagnosed patients aged 18-75 years. Pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma (tubular, papillary, mucinous, or signet-ring). Tumor ≤7 cm from anal verge (MRI or DRE). Clinical stage T1-T3, N+, M0 (AJCC 8th ed.), suitable for sphincter-preserving TME. ASA score I-III.

ECOG performance status 0-1. Informed consent obtained.

\- Exclusion Criteria: Synchronous/metachronous colorectal cancers, local recurrence, or distant metastases. Bowel obstruction, perforation, bleeding requiring emergency surgery. Involvement of sphincter or adjacent organs requiring Inter-sphincter Resection (ISR). Poor preoperative anal function/incontinence. IBD or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP).

Pregnancy or lactation. Severe psychiatric illness. Other malignancies within 5 years. Severe comorbidities or infections making surgery intolerable. Judged unsuitable by investigator.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Open label

Primary purpose

Treatment

Study locations

China · 1 center

• the sixth affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University — Guangzhou

Publications

• Jiang W, Xu J, Cui M, Qiu H, Wang Z, Kang L, Deng H, Chen W, Zhang Q, Du X, Yang C, Guo Y, Zhong M, Ye K, You J, Xu D, Li X, Xiong Z, Tao K, Ding K, Zang W, Feng Y, Pan Z, Wu A, Huang F, Huang Y, Wei Y, Su X, Chi P; LASRE trial investigators. Laparoscopy-assisted versus open surgery for low rectal cancer (LASRE): 3-year survival outcomes of a multicentre, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority tr PMID 39527970
• Liu H, Zeng Z, Zhang H, Wu M, Ma D, Wang Q, Xie M, Xu Q, Ouyang J, Xiao Y, Song Y, Feng B, Xu Q, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Hao Y, Luo S, Zhang X, Yang Z, Peng J, Wu X, Ren D, Huang M, Lan P, Tong W, Ren M, Wang J, Kang L; Chinese Transanal Endoscopic Surgery Collaborative (CTESC) Group. Morbidity, Mortality, and Pathologic Outcomes of Transanal Versus Laparoscopic Total Mesorectal Excision for Rectal Cance PMID 35815886
• Feng Q, Yuan W, Li T, Tang B, Jia B, Zhou Y, Zhang W, Zhao R, Zhang C, Cheng L, Zhang X, Liang F, He G, Wei Y, Xu J; REAL Study Group. Robotic versus laparoscopic surgery for middle and low rectal cancer (REAL): short-term outcomes of a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 Nov;7(11):991-1004. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(22)00248-5. Epub 2022 Sep 8. PMID 36087608
• Feng Q, Yuan W, Li T, Tang B, Jia B, Zhou Y, Zhang W, Zhao R, Zhang C, Cheng L, Zhang X, Wei Y, Liang F, He G, Xu J; REAL Study Group. Robotic vs Laparoscopic Surgery for Middle and Low Rectal Cancer: The REAL Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2025 Jul 8;334(2):136-148. doi: 10.1001/jama.2025.8123. PMID 40455621
• Zeng Z, Luo S, Zhang H, Wu M, Ma D, Wang Q, Xie M, Xu Q, Ouyang J, Xiao Y, Song Y, Feng B, Xu Q, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Shi L, Ling L, Zhang X, Huang L, Yang Z, Peng J, Wu X, Ren D, Huang M, Lan P, Wang J, Tong W, Ren M, Liu H, Kang L; Chinese Transanal Endoscopic Surgery Collaborative (CTESC) Group. Transanal vs Laparoscopic Total Mesorectal Excision and 3-Year Disease-Free Survival in Rectal Cancer: T PMID 39847361

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07651553 · 2025ZSLYEC-104

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗