Adoption of Minimally Invasive Surgery for Gastric Cancer: A Cross-Specialty Analysis

Strategic Insights -

Research at Brigham and Women's Hospital has shed light on the influence of cross-specialty and intra-specialty factors on the adoption of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for gastric cancers. The study, which spanned 2010-2019, utilized the National Cancer Database to analyze the impact of MIS use for colorectal cancers on the adoption of MIS for hepatic, pancreatic, biliary, and gastric cancers. The study found that the proportion of hospitals performing more than 50% of their cases via MIS for both groups of cancers increased from 1% in 2010 to 27% in 2019.

Key Takeaways:

  • The proportion of hospitals performing more than 50% of their cases via MIS for gastric cancers increased from 1% in 2010 to 27% in 2019.
  • The proportion of hospitals performing more than 10% of their cases via a robotic approach increased from 1 to 33% over the same period.
  • The odds of receiving MIS among patients with gastric cancers were more strongly associated with the level of MIS use for gastric cancer in the previous year than with MIS use for colorectal cancers.
  • The study suggests that intra-specialty factors, rather than cross-specialty use of MIS for colorectal cancers, have a greater influence on the adoption of MIS for gastric cancers.
  • 87,241 and 134,019 patients with gastric cancers and colorectal cancers, respectively, were included in the study.
  • The study used logistic regression models to estimate the yearly-level odds of receiving MIS for gastric cancers, adjusting for hospital and patient covariates.

Statistics:

  • 1% of hospitals performed more than 50% of their cases via MIS for gastric cancers in 2010.
  • 27% of hospitals performed more than 50% of their cases via MIS for gastric cancers in 2019.
  • 1% of hospitals performed more than 10% of their cases via a robotic approach in 2010.
  • 33% of hospitals performed more than 10% of their cases via a robotic approach in 2019.
  • 87,241 patients with gastric cancers were included in the study.
  • 134,019 patients with colorectal cancers were included in the study.
  • The median age of patients with gastric cancers was 65 years.

Sources:

  • Cross-specialty Impact In the Adoption of Minimally Invasive Surgery In Abdominal Surgical Oncology At the Hospital Level. Journal of Robotic Surgery, 2025;19(1).