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Open research questions in Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments

672 gap statements mined from Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,837 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Prospective multicenter validation is warranted to establish the generalizability and clinical utility of the RadScore as a preoperative risk stratification tool in locally advanced rectal cancer.

    Pretreatment Staging FDG PET-Derived Radiomic Score Predicts Progression-Free Survival in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Treated with Total Neoadjuvant Therapy · 2026 · DOI

  • Prior studies have not specifically analyzed tumor markers after adjusting for baseline characteristics. The differences in tumor marker expression between right- and left-sided CRCs have not been fully elucidated.

    Distinct expression and prognostic value of CA19-9 between right- and left-sided colorectal cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • The importance of completing the planned adjuvant chemotherapy regimen is highlighted, but maintaining the regimen is often challenging due to treatment-related toxicity. The impact of adjuvant chemotherapy continuity on recurrence-free survival in real-world patients with stage III colorectal cancer is not well understood.

    Recurrence-free survival in patients with stage III colorectal cancer who did or did not complete adjuvant chemotherapy · 2026 · DOI

  • The observed association may partly reflect hormonal influences and sex-related molecular characteristics of tumors, although the mechanisms underlying differential response to nCRT remain unclear.

    Integrated model of MRI biomarkers and clinical factors for predicting pathologic response after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore these areas further to deepen our understanding of the tumor microenvironment in RC. Future research should focus on incorporating multimodal data and enhancing external validation.

    An MRI-based habitat radiomics nomogram for preoperative prediction of lymphovascular invasion in rectal cancer patients · 2026 · DOI

  • At restaging, DWI should be used as an important complementary sequence for detecting residual vascular tumor, particularly when T2WI findings are equivocal.

    MRI assessment of extramural venous invasion in rectal cancer: a practical pictorial review · 2026 · DOI

  • QoL measures, such as those used in this study, offer a more holistic view of the benefits and limitations of different surgical approaches. NOSES patients also associated with mitigated pain and required less analgesia, supporting the growing body of evidence in favour of minimally invasive techniques.

    Quality of life, anxiety and depression risks after natural orifice specimen extraction surgery and conventional laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer patients: a prospective two-centre case-matched study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of studies on the vascular anatomical features of PDM. There is a lack of studies on the short-term outcomes of robot-assisted surgery for rectal cancer in patients with PDM.

    Robot-assisted surgery for rectal cancer with persistent descending mesocolon: analysis of vascular anatomical features and short-term outcomes · 2026 · DOI

  • The study faced the challenge of limited sample size, which may have affected the accuracy of the estimated incidence of GI perforation. The study had to consider the potential confounding effects of disease progression and other treatments on the incidence of GI perforation.

    Gastrointestinal perforation associated with bevacizumab and palliative radiotherapy · 2026 · DOI

  • It remains uncertain whether GALT-associated carcinoma is truly rare or underrecognised. However, detailed case reports like this one help clarify its diagnostic boundaries and support further investigation into the role of the lymphoid microenvironment in tumour development.

    Redefining GALT-associated carcinoma: a distinct subtype of colorectal adenocarcinoma · 2026 · DOI

  • The optimal MRI sequences for pelvic nerve delineation remain under investigation. The specific anatomical and pathological factors influencing nerve visibility have not been fully elucidated.

    Visualizing pelvic splanchnic nerve and hypogastric nerve with magnetic resonance neurography in rectal cancer patients · 2026 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need for further follow-up to evaluate long-term oncological outcomes.

    Feasibility of robotic-assisted right colectomy using the "squeezing approach" · 2026 · DOI

  • The limited adoption of robotic surgery in colorectal practice due to critical implementation challenges. The need for studies to assess the long-term safety and performance of robotic surgery systems. The need for clinical investigations of new robotic surgery systems, such as DEXTER.

    Robotic-assisted right colectomy with the DEXTER® Robotic Surgery System: first prospective multicenter study · 2026 · DOI

  • Further prospective randomized studies focusing on robotic HP versus robotic IAPE, including patient-reported outcomes, are warranted to better define the optimal surgical strategy for this patient population.

    Intersphincteric abdominoperineal excision versus low Hartmann’s procedure in the robotic era: a single institution experience · 2026 · DOI

  • Several limitations of this study should be acknowledged. This is a major limitation of our analysis. These data contribute to the limited body of evidence on functional outcomes following open versus robotic-assisted rectal resection, and should be regarded as hypothesis-generating within the limited evidence base for open TME.

    Quality of life and functional outcomes after low anterior rectal resection with total mesorectal excision: a propensity score-matched comparison of robotic-assisted versus open surgery · 2026 · DOI

  • Complete mesocolic excision (CME) is based on embryological principles; however, the optimal dissection plane for right-sided colon cancer remains controversial because the retrocolic fascia comprises multiple embryological layers and anatomical terminology has been used inconsistently across studies.

    Layer-Oriented Lateral Superior Approach for Robotic Right Hemicolectomy: A Novel Embryology-Based Strategy and Initial Clinical Outcomes · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited evidence on early implementation outcomes of robotic-assisted colorectal surgery. Technical limitations of conventional laparoscopy in complex cases. Need for evaluation of robotic-assisted surgery in a real-world setting.

    Implementation of a Robotic Colorectal Surgery Program: Early Outcomes from a Tertiary Referral Center · 2026 · DOI

  • Several developments are likely to shape the future of LRRC imaging. Better standardization of imaging protocols, structured reporting, and treatment consensus, driven by groups such as SAR, ESGAR, SUR, and the PelvEx Collaborative, will likely improve comparability of outcomes across institutions and clinical trials.

    Local recurrence in rectal cancer: from detection to structured reporting · 2026 · DOI

  • The diagnostic methods, treatment decisions, and surveillance protocols for both first and second recurrence were left to the discretion of each participating institution, potentially introducing inter-institutional variability.

    Second recurrence after R0 resection of recurrent colorectal cancer: patterns and implications for surveillance · 2026 · DOI

  • Prior literature has already assessed age groups as a factor for postoperative complications and/or leak, but this study focuses on patients over 75 years.

    Risk factors and long-term impact of anastomotic leak after colorectal cancer surgery in the elderly: a 5-year follow-up study · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigation of the underlying mechanisms of the difference in CA19-9 expression between right- and left-sided CRC, - Analysis of the prognostic value of CA19-9 in other types of cancer, - Development of new therapeutic strategies targeting…

    Distinct expression and prognostic value of CA19-9 between right- and left-sided colorectal cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • Fourth, the composite textbook outcome and the response strata rest on locally abstracted variables whose ascertainment, though systematic, was not externally audited, and some pathological features could not be assessed in every specimen; the nodal yield criterion of the textbook outcome also disadvantages irradiated specimens, although sensitivity analyses without it, or with a treatment-specific threshold, gave…

    Pathological Response Depth and Pre-Treatment Risk Stratification After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Rectal Cancer · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a limited sample size, - The study was retrospective, - The 95% CI of the incidence of GI perforation overlapped substantially with that reported…

    Gastrointestinal perforation associated with bevacizumab and palliative radiotherapy · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited experience using this method on patients with obesity - Risk of tearing the peritoneum if the clip is applied improperly or too much tension is placed…

    Hook and rubber retraction: optimising the surgical field in robotic TME · 2026 · DOI

  • Retrospective observational study, - Limited to patients with rectal cancer, - Excluded patients with incomplete data or insufficient follow-up, - Technical demands of Pfannenstiel incision may limit…

    Pfannenstiel versus periumbilical specimen extraction in laparoscopic low anterior resection: a comparative analysis of incisional hernia risk, postoperative recovery, and oncologic outcomes · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) Prospective multicenter validation is warranted to establish the generalizability and clinical utility of the RadScore as a preoperative risk stratification tool in locally advanced rectal cancer (“Pretreatment Staging FDG PET-Derived Radiomic Score Predicts Progression-Free…”, 2026); (2) The differences in tumor marker expression between right- and left-sided CRCs have not been fully elucidated (“Distinct expression and prognostic value of CA19-9 between right- and…”, 2026); (3) The impact of adjuvant chemotherapy continuity on recurrence-free survival in real-world patients with stage III colorectal cancer is not well understood (“Recurrence-free survival in patients with stage III colorectal cancer who did…”, 2026); (4) The observed association may partly reflect hormonal influences and sex-related molecular characteristics of tumors, although the mechanisms underlying differential response to nCRT remain unclear (“Integrated model of MRI biomarkers and clinical factors for predicting…”, 2026); (5) Future research should focus on incorporating multimodal data and enhancing external validation (“An MRI-based habitat radiomics nomogram for preoperative prediction of…”, 2026). 672 gap statements have been mined from Colorectal Cancer Surgical Treatments papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,837 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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