Laparoscopic Surgery Now a Proven Standard of Care for Colon Cancer

with Lyle Henry, M.D., General and Vascular Surgeon and Chief of Surgery, Columbia St. Mary’s

Posted: March 1, 2005

When you hear about a minimally invasive surgical technique, you’re probably hearing about laparoscopic surgery. A thin tube called a laparoscope, attached to a miniature video camera, is inserted through a small incision in the abdomen to guide an operation. Carbon dioxide gas is injected to inflate the target area and surgical instruments are then inserted through other small abdominal incisions and used to perform the surgery.

This type of operation enables a patient to be discharged from the hospital on the same day of the surgery or the next day and go back to a normal life in four or five days with a minimal amount of pain.

Laparoscopic surgery has become a viable alternative to conventional open surgical procedures, according to Dr. Lyle Henry, general and vascular surgeon and chief of surgery at Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital. Dr. Henry is also co-director of the Milwaukee Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Columbia St. Mary’s.

Lyle Henry, M.D., General and Vascular Surgeon and Chief of Surgery, Columbia St. Mary’s "We found that laparoscopically assisted surgery for colon cancer is safe and yields the same results as conventional surgery."

“Laparoscopic surgery has been used widely over the past 15 years or so to successfully treat non-cancerous abdominal diseases, such as gall bladder disease,” he said. “Although it’s not new, what is significant is the fact that in recent years it’s become a standard of care for colon cancer surgery, too. And that’s good news.”

Research results
Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer had been considered experimental some years ago because it had not been known whether the technique removed tumors as effectively as the conventional surgical operation called a colectomy. Inadequate surgical removal of tumors increases the risk that the cancer will recur.

About ten years ago, Dr. Henry and others, after careful study and consideration, began using the technique for colon cancer surgery, too. And they were successful.

“We performed the surgery on 14 patients here in Milwaukee and Dr. Richard Cattey, an associate of mine, and I then published a paper reporting on our experiences. We found that laparoscopically assisted surgery for colon cancer is safe and yields the same results as conventional surgery. And we found that the other benefits of laparoscopic surgery held true: the length of stay in the hospital was shorter, the amount of pain was less, smaller doses of medicine were required for comfort, and the patient’s return to normal activity was quicker.”

The number of the surgeries they conducted at Columbia St. Mary’s was relatively small, however, and because it was a new procedure there was no long-term data about survival.

“But last year, there was a large multi-center study done nationally, which corroborated exactly what we saw,” he said. “It compared laparoscopic and conventional surgery for colon cancer among almost 900 patients at 48 health care facilities in the U.S. and Canada. It showed no significant differences between groups in time to recurrence of disease or overall survival for patients with any stage of cancer. The report concluded that laparoscopy is an acceptable alternative to open surgery for colon cancer.

“Very shortly thereafter, the American Society of Colorectal Surgery released a consensus statement that laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer is as effective as an open operation.”

Colorectal cancer facts
Cancer of the colon and rectum is a silent disease that usually develops without symptoms. It’s the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. and strikes both sexes with almost equal frequency. About 150,000 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed last year and nearly 57,000 people died from it.

“For those reasons it’s very important to get regular screenings,” Dr. Henry emphasized. “The disease and deaths from the disease are highly preventable if you get those regular screenings. Unfortunately, only about one-third of all colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an early stage.”

He explains that most cases begin as non-cancerous polyps — small growths on the lining of the colon and rectum. “These growths can become cancerous, so removing the polyps can prevent the cancer from ever developing. Screening for the disease can find the presence of polyps or detect cancer in its earliest, most curable stages.”

According to Dr. Henry, how often you need to get screened depends on your medical history. He suggests that you talk to your doctor about the type of screening test that is right for you and how often you should be screened.

“Colorectal cancer is up to 90 percent curable when it’s discovered in its early stages,” he said.

Dr. Lyle Henry, 414-961-2120
2015 E. Newport Ave. #305, Milwaukee

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