Robot vs. transanal surgery: which is better for low rectal cancer?
NCT ID NCT07651553
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares two modern surgical techniques for removing low rectal cancer: transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) and robot-assisted total mesorectal excision (RTME). Researchers want to see which method leads to fewer complications and less need to switch to open surgery. The trial will enroll 216 adults with early-stage rectal cancer and follow them for three years to check for cancer recurrence and survival.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- surgical procedure (transanal total mesorectal excision vs robot-assisted total mesorectal excision)
- What this could lead to
- If this trial succeeds, it could show that one surgical method is safer and more effective for removing low rectal cancer, helping surgeons choose the best approach for patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a relatively small, early-stage study (216 participants) comparing two established techniques. The results may not apply to all patients, and individual outcomes depend on many factors beyond the surgical method.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 216 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria:Newly diagnosed patients aged 18-75 years. Pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma (tubular, papillary, mucinous, or signet-ring). Tumor ≤7 cm from anal verge (MRI or DRE). Clinical stage T1-T3, N+, M0 (AJCC 8th ed.), suitable for sphincter-preserving TME. ASA score I-III. ECOG performance status 0-1. Informed consent obtained. \- Exclusion Criteria: Synchronous/metachronous colorectal cancers, local recurrence, or distant metastases. Bowel obstruction, perforation, bleeding requiring emergency surgery. Involvement of sphincter or adjacent organs requiring Inter-sphincter Resection (ISR). Poor preoperative anal function/incontinence. IBD or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Pregnancy or lactation. Severe psychiatric illness. Other malignancies within 5 years. Severe comorbidities or infections making surgery intolerable. Judged unsuitable by investigator.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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the sixth affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen University
RECRUITINGGuangzhou, Guangdong, 510655, China
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