Xie RX, Xing YX, Sun NZ. Advancing minimally invasive surgery for elderly colorectal cancer patients: Bridging evidence to practice. World J Gastrointest Surg 2025; 17(6): 108152 [DOI: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i6.108152]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Nian-Zhe Sun, MD, PhD, Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China. sunnzh201921@sina.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Surg. Jun 27, 2025; 17(6): 108152 Published online Jun 27, 2025. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.v17.i6.108152
Advancing minimally invasive surgery for elderly colorectal cancer patients: Bridging evidence to practice
Ren-Xian Xie, Yi-Xuan Xing, Nian-Zhe Sun
Ren-Xian Xie, Department of Radiation Oncology, Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515031, Guangdong Province, China
Yi-Xuan Xing, Department of Emergency, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
Yi-Xuan Xing, Nian-Zhe Sun, National Clinical Research Center of Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
Nian-Zhe Sun, Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Yi-Xuan Xing and Nian-Zhe Sun.
Author contributions: Xie RX wrote the first draft, developed the main ideas, and led revisions; Sun NZ and Xing YX provided critical feedback, improved the structure, and added key examples.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nian-Zhe Sun, MD, PhD, Department of Orthopedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 87 Xiangya Road, Kaifu District, Changsha 410008, Hunan Province, China. sunnzh201921@sina.com
Received: April 7, 2025 Revised: April 23, 2025 Accepted: May 15, 2025 Published online: June 27, 2025 Processing time: 54 Days and 4.8 Hours
Abstract
The recent study by Min et al provides evidence supporting laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer (LRRCC) as a superior surgical approach for elderly patients. Their retrospective analysis of 104 patients demonstrated that LRRCC offers higher therapeutic efficacy, reduced postoperative complications, faster recovery, and attenuated systemic inflammatory responses compared to open surgery. While the study underscores the clinical advantages of minimally invasive techniques, it also highlights critical gaps, such as single-center design and limited long-term follow-up. This editorial contextualizes these findings within the broader literature, emphasizing the role of LRRCC in enhancing postoperative quality of life for elderly patients. We further discuss the implications of inflammatory biomarker modulation, advocate for multidisciplinary care models, and call for prospective trials to validate long-term outcomes.
Core Tip: The study by Min et al reinforces laparoscopic radical resection of colorectal cancer as a safe and effective option for elderly patients, with reduced complications and inflammation. However, broader implementation requires addressing technical challenges, surgeon training, and long-term outcome validation.
