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Open research questions in Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments

168 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 415 Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Future individual-patient-data meta-analyses should include surgical and endoscopy-only cohorts - Age should be modeled continuously - Pathological variables should be standardized - Assessment of whether age improves discrimination and clinical net benefit beyond established criteria

    Young age or surgical selection? Interpreting lymph-node metastasis risk in T1 colorectal cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • The current analysis estimates lymph-node metastasis among patients selected for surgery rather than all patients with T1 CRC. The paper identifies a gap in the consideration of age-dependent selection and its impact on the association between age and lymph-node metastasis rate. The need for standardization of pathological variables and modeling of age as a continuous variable is highlighted.

    Young age or surgical selection? Interpreting lymph-node metastasis risk in T1 colorectal cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • The study faced challenges in collecting and analyzing data from a large cohort of patients. The analysis was limited by the small number of low rectal tumors. The study had to account for the complexity of LARS and its multidimensional constellation of bowel dysfunction.

    Incremental Predictive Value of Conventional MRI Pelvimetry for Major Low Anterior Resection Syndrome After Rectal Cancer Surgery · 2026 · DOI

  • the study had a limited number of major-LARS events (n = 48), - the study was a single-center observational cohort study, - exact tumor distance from the anal verge was not systematically documented as a continuous numerical value and was available in 131 patients, - the study represents a secondary imaging analysis of an institutional rectal cancer cohort previously reported

    Incremental Predictive Value of Conventional MRI Pelvimetry for Major Low Anterior Resection Syndrome After Rectal Cancer Surgery · 2026 · DOI

  • Technical challenges of laparoscopic resection and ureteral reconstruction - Risk of complications, such as hemorrhage and anastomotic leakage - Need for individualized treatment planning based on tumor characteristics

    Case Report: Neoadjuvant FOLFOXIRI followed by laparoscopic en bloc resection and psoas hitch reconstruction for locally advanced colorectal cancer with suspected ureteral invasion: a three-case series · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited treatment options for locally advanced CRC with suspected ureteral invasion - Need for a comprehensive treatment strategy that includes ureteral reconstruction - Importance of preserving renal function in patients with CRC

    Case Report: Neoadjuvant FOLFOXIRI followed by laparoscopic en bloc resection and psoas hitch reconstruction for locally advanced colorectal cancer with suspected ureteral invasion: a three-case series · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a limited sample size. The model may be limited by overfitting to imbalanced datasets. The study did not compare the model's performance to other existing models. The study did not evaluate the model's performance in a real-world setting

    Multidimensional magnetic resonance imaging nomogram for noninvasive stratification of mismatch repair status in rectal cancer: A multicenter study · 2026 · DOI

  • The current method for evaluating mismatch repair status has limitations. Prior models have suboptimal sensitivity or specificity. There is a need for a noninvasive and accurate method for stratifying mismatch repair status.

    Multidimensional magnetic resonance imaging nomogram for noninvasive stratification of mismatch repair status in rectal cancer: A multicenter study · 2026 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND: Previous studies have indicated that robotic surgery offers similar safety and efficacy to laparoscopic surgery in older colorectal cancer patients, while its potential advantages remain to be clarified.

    Robotic versus laparoscopic surgery in older colorectal cancer patients: a comparison of clinical outcomes and inflammatory markers · 2026 · DOI

  • However, whether preoperative total colonoscopy through a stent safely and effectively detect synchronous colorectal cancer remains unclear.

    Efficacy of Preoperative Colonoscopy Following Self-Expandable Metallic Stent Placement in Patients with Obstructive Colorectal Cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • Still, its superiority over laparoscopy remains inconclusive and current evidence is mixed.

    Current Evidence in Robotic Colorectal Surgery · 2025 · DOI

  • However, findings remain inconsistent due to methodological heterogeneity, the absence of patient stratification, and limited data on long-term survival and cost-effectiveness.

    Current Evidence in Robotic Colorectal Surgery · 2025 · DOI

  • INTRODUCTION: Serum levels of procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP) have been used to predict anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery, but information is scarce in advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) surgery with bowel resection.

    Procalcitonin and C‐reactive protein as early markers of anastomotic leakage in intestinal resections for advanced ovarian cancer ( EDMOCS ) · 2024 · DOI

  • Rectal cancer robotic surgery is becoming more and more common, but evidence for predicting surgical difficulty is scarce.

    Predictive model of the surgical difficulty of robot-assisted total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: a multicenter, retrospective study · 2024 · DOI

  • There is a need for a consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of non-curative endoscopic resection and subsequent surgery for early colorectal cancer. The current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of certain services.

    Chinese expert consensus on additional surgery following endoscopic resection for early colorectal cancer (2025 edition) · 2026 · DOI

  • MMR or MSI status is the key marker for predicting immunotherapy efficacy, but strict treatment indications are necessary due to potential toxicity of immunotherapy.

    Chinese expert consensus on additional surgery following endoscopic resection for early colorectal cancer (2025 edition) · 2026 · DOI

  • High incidence of colon cancer. Limited effectiveness of standard treatment methods. Need for reliable criteria for determining treatment effectiveness.

    RESULTS OF THE STUDY OF THERAPEUTIC PATHOMORPHOSIS OF MALIGNANT EPITHELIAL TUMORS IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED RESECTABLE COLON TUMORS UNDER PREOPERATIVE CHEMORADIATION INDUCTION · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for effective preoperative treatment to improve resectability. The lack of reliable criteria for determining the effectiveness of chemoradiotherapy.

    RESULTS OF THE STUDY OF THERAPEUTIC PATHOMORPHOSIS OF MALIGNANT EPITHELIAL TUMORS IN PATIENTS WITH LOCALLY ADVANCED RESECTABLE COLON TUMORS UNDER PREOPERATIVE CHEMORADIATION INDUCTION · 2026 · DOI

  • Existing systematic reviews mainly focus on colorectal cancer, necessitating a broader analysis. There is a need for a comprehensive analysis of textbook outcome across multiple cancers.

    Textbook outcome in cancer surgery and its prognostic value: a systematic review and meta-analysis. · 2026 · DOI

  • Additionally, cost-effectiveness analyses and investigations into enhanced recovery protocols and novel technologies aimed at reducing AL risk without diversion are warranted to optimize patient outcomes and resource allocation.

    Balancing benefit and burden: a critical appraisal of prophylactic ileostomy in laparoscopic low anterior resection · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in understanding the superior survival of screen-detected CRCs, which cannot be explained by earlier stage of diagnosis alone. It highlights the need for further research into the characteristics of screen-detected CRCs and their impact on survival.

    Histopathological characteristics of screen-detected colorectal cancers · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to remove all pelvic organs in PE makes it difficult to maintain a clear surgical field in the deep pelvis. The transabdominal approach has limited visibility and difficulty in surgical maneuverability for large tumors occupying the pelvis.

    Robotic total pelvic exenteration using a transanal-first approach for locally advanced rectal cancer occupying the pelvis: a video vignette · 2026 · DOI

  • Small sample sizes and lack of large-scale trials limit the current evidence. Complications following anal sphincter-preserving surgery are still common. The review is limited to studies published in the literature and may not reflect current clinical practice.

    Comparative analysis of anal sphincter-preserving surgical techniques in ultra-low rectal cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for large-scale trials to evaluate the effectiveness of sphincter-preserving surgery for ultra-low rectal cancer. The current evidence is limited by small sample sizes and variability in surgical techniques.

    Comparative analysis of anal sphincter-preserving surgical techniques in ultra-low rectal cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of data on the anatomical distribution of local recurrence following radical resection of pancreatic body and tail cancer. Previous studies have primarily focused on patients with pancreatic head cancer.

    Mapping local recurrence after radical resection of pancreatic body and tail cancer for target volume design · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments

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168 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 415 Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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