Robotic radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Robotic technology has recently come into widespread use to overcome the limitations of laparoscopic radical hysterectomy in the treatment of early-stage cervical cancer. Most comparative studies showed that blood loss and hospital stays for patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery, including robotic procedures, were superior compared to open surgery. Moreover, the survival outcomes of robotic radical hysterectomy were not inferior to open radical hysterectomy. Unexpectedly, the Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer (LACC) trial, a randomized, open-label, noninferiority study that compared minimally invasive radical hysterectomy with open radical hysterectomy, revealed that minimally invasive surgery was associated with a higher risk of recurrence and death compared with open surgery. Strict guidelines for robotic radical hysterectomy for the treatment of early-stage cervical cancer should be established in accordance with objective Korean data. In addition, it is recommended that further studies should be performed on how to avoid the use of uterine manipulators and the dissemination of cancer cells by ensuring a more effective vaginal closure using a standardized approach.