A prospective trial comparing minimally invasive approaches and open surgery is needed in gastric cancer. Methodology from a study protocol

The overall purpose is to develop and maintain a multi-institutional database comprising of information regarding surgical, clinical and oncological features of patients treated for gastric cancer with robotic, laparoscopic or open approaches and subsequent follow-up. The study has been shared by the members of the international study group on minimally Invasive surgery for gastric Cancer (IMIGASTRIC). The group involves researchers and institutes around the world with experience in the treatment of gastric cancer. For data collection, six categories were identified: patient characteristics, surgical procedure details, tumor characteristics, data concerning the postoperative period, surgical complications, details of oncological follow-up. This is a study protocol to show methods and preliminary data on a new tool able to collect information on western and eastern patients. The Imigastric project is a multi-center study including an initial retrospective phase and on this base the development of a prospective trial. A large prospective multicenter registry could thus be the optimal way to clarify the role of minimally invasive surgery for gastric cancer and permit the evaluation of its short and long-term effects. A working basis for analyzing outcomes of interest and obtaining directions for guidelines and future study developments can also be created.