Lung cAncer Robotic Comparative Study

Detection of lung cancer is occurring at increasingly earlier stages due to improved screening and the discovery of incidental nodules. Coinciding with this trend is recent data from two international randomized, control trials, RAVAL - (Robotic Lobectomy vs. Thoracoscopic Lobectomy for Early Stage Lung Cancer) and, JCOG0802 (The Japan Clinical Oncology Group) that show oncologic outcomes from segmentectomy are equivalent to lobectomy for cancers ≤2 cm. However, segmentectomy is a more complex technical operation that may not be easily feasible using video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) but could be facilitated by robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), allowing improved vision, precision and controlled anatomic dissection.

The LARCS study is designed to understand the perioperative outcomes of patients and identify the real-world selection process of either VATS and RATS segmentectomy and lobectomy for lung cancers ≤2 cm. It aims to generate evidence to support integration of patient-centered care using minimally invasive technology.

In addition, health related quality of life captured in the study will also provide valuable insight into time to recovery, determining burden of the disease, and guide future treatment strategy.