Robot vs. laparoscope: which surgery is safer for early stomach cancer?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Patients aged between 20 and 80 years diagnosed with early gastric cancer (cT1N0) 2. Patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1 3. Patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification of Class I to III 4. Patients with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of gastric adenocarcinoma by endoscopic biopsy prior to surgery 5. Patients with early gastric cancer suspected to have submucosal invasion limited to less than the muscularis propria based on preoperative examinations 6. Patients deemed eligible for distal subtotal gastrectomy based on preoperative assessment 7. Patients who have received a full explanation of the study purpose and procedures, and who voluntarily sign the written informed consent approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients determined to have advanced gastric cancer rather than early gastric cancer based on preoperative endoscopy or computed tomography 2. Patients with confirmed distant metastasis on preoperative examinations 3. Patients with a history of previous gastrectomy 4. Patients with complications from gastric cancer, such as significant obstruction or perforation 5. Patients who have received chemotherapy or radiotherapy for the current gastric cancer diagnosis prior to surgery 6. Patients who have undergone surgery or received chemotherapy or radiotherapy for another primary malignancy within the past 5 years (with the exception of adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix) 7. Vulnerable subjects, including individuals lacking decision-making capacity, pregnant women, or those planning pregnancy 8. Patients who have participated in another clinical trial within the past 6 months or who are currently enrolled in another clinical trial 9. Patients with active synchronous multiple primary malignancies Exclusion Criteria: 1. Patients determined to have advanced gastric cancer rather than early gastric cancer based on preoperative endoscopy or computed tomography 2. Patients with confirmed distant metastasis on preoperative examinations 3. Patients with a history of previous gastrectomy 4. Patients with complications from gastric cancer, such as significant obstruction or perforation 5. Patients who have received chemotherapy or radiotherapy for the current gastric cancer diagnosis prior to surgery 6. Patients who have undergone surgery or received chemotherapy or radiotherapy for another primary malignancy within the past 5 years (with the exception of adequately treated basal cell carcinoma of the skin or carcinoma in situ of the cervix) 7. Vulnerable subjects, including individuals lacking decision-making capacity, pregnant women, or those planning pregnancy 8. Patients who have participated in another clinical trial within the past 6 months or who are currently enrolled in another clinical trial 9. Patients with active synchronous multiple primary malignancies