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Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Amjad Parvaiz, Poole Hospital NHS Trust, UK
- Second opponent: Professor Ingfrid Haldorsen, Haukeland University Hospital, Norway
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Associate professor Stephan Andreas Brackmann, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor II Hilde Lurås, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Professor II Dejan Ignjatovic, Akershus University Hospital
Summary
This doctoral thesis primarily aims to identify patients with central lymph node metastases (D3 volume) in right-sided colon cancer by examining radiological and immunohistochemical factors. Additionally, we study the short- and long-term outcomes when these patients undergo extended mesenterectomy with personalized surgery within a predefined anatomical D3 volume for stage III right-sided colon cancer. Worldwide, metastases in central lymph nodes are considered a poor prognostic sign for colorectal cancer patients. Despite improvements in diagnostics and treatment, surgical treatment of this patient group has been challenging.
The results highlight that patients with metastasis in central lymph nodes can be identified using preoperative CT scans. The presence of occult tumor cells and the extent of surgical dissection could influence survival outcomes. The findings suggest that extended mesenterectomy surgery for right colon cancer is both feasible, safe and improves survival rates in most patients with metastases in the central lymph nodes by removing the predefined D3 volume. Centralizing this advanced surgery to high-volume surgery centers could further enhance survival rates for patients.
This study indicates a promising shift in the right-sided colon cancer treatment approach, suggesting that future patients will not be treated in a “one-size-fits-all approach.” Instead, the future holds the potential for personalized treatments, ideally administered before surgery, to improve survival rates.
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.