RAMIE Versus MIE for Resectable Esophageal Cancer, a Randomized Controlled Trial (ROBOT-2 Trial).

Brief summary (registry, in English)

BACKGROUND: For patients with esophageal cancer, radical esophagectomy with 2-field lymphadenectomy is the cornerstone of the multimodality treatment with curative intent. Both, conventional minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) and robot assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy (RAMIE) were shown to be superior compared to open transthoracic esophagectomy considering postoperative complications. However, no randomized comparison was made until now to compare MIE to RAMIE OBJECTIVES: The objective is to evaluate the extent of lymph node dissection, efficacy, risks, quality of life and cost-effectiveness of RAMIE as an alternative to MIE as treatment for esophageal adenocarcinoma or adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction.. METHODS: This is an investigator-initiated and investigator-driven multicenter randomized controlled parallel-group, superiority trial. All adult patients (age ≥18 and ≤ 90 years) with histologically proven, surgically resectable (cT1-4a, N0-3, M0) adenocarcinoma of the intrathoracic esophagus or adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction with European Clinical Oncology Group performance status 0, 1 or 2 will be assessed for eligibility and included after obtaining informed consent. Patients (n=218) are randomized at the outpatient department to either RAMIE (n=109) or MIE (n=109). The primary outcome of this study is the total number of resected lymph nodes according to the TIGER classification for esophageal cancer lymphadenectomy. CONCLUSION: This is the first randomized controlled trial designed to compare RAMIE to MIE as surgical treatment for resectable adenocarcinoma of the intrathoracic esophagus or adenocarcinoma of the gastroesophageal junction in the Western World. If our hypothesis is proven correct, RAMIE will result in a better lymph node dissection compared to conventional MIE. The study started in September 2019. Follow up will be 5 years. Short term results will be analyzed and published after discharge of the last randomized patient.

What you commit to

• Study type: Interventional
• Planned participants: 218
• From 18 Jan 2021 to the primary completion date, 19 May 2023
• 1 site in 1 country
• Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

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Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Who the study is looking for

Age in the registry: 18 years to 90 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

Sites (1)

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Related publications

• Robotic vs Thoracolaparoscopic Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA Surg · 2026 · PMID 42814447