Several studies have demonstrated that the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood can be a surrogate biomarker to predict recurrence and prognosis of rectal cancer. CTCs are released from the primary tumor into the bloodstream and have the potential to spread to distant sites and develop into micro-metastatic deposits. Numerous studies have demonstrated that surgical manipulation could promote the dissemination of tumor cells into the circulation. Theoretically, the potential risk of tumor cell dissemination can theoretically be minimized if the effluent vein was ligated first. However, there is no regulation in the current guidelines on the sequence of ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery and vein during rectal cancer surgery owing to a lack of sufficient evidence. This multi-center randomized controlled trial is to investigate effect of ligation sequence of the inferior mesenteric artery and vein on circulating tumor cells and survival in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery
Effect of ligation sequence of the inferior mesenteric artery and vein on circulating tumor cells and survival in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery: a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled study