An observational study in Colon Cancer, Splenic Flexure Mobilization and Right Hemicolectomy, sponsored by Acibadem University. Enrolling by invitation at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-17.
Sponsored by Acibadem University · Observational
SPARROW Study: Surgical Outcomes in Splenic Flexure Cancer
Colonic cancers located at the splenic flexure where the transverse colon turns into the descending colon are uncommon and represent less than 10% of all colorectal cancers. Because of their unique location between the blood supply of the right and left colon, there is no clear agreement on which surgical method provides the best results.
Two main procedures are used:
Segmental hemicolectomy, which removes only the part of the colon containing the tumor, and
Extended hemicolectomy, which removes a larger section of the colon and more lymph nodes.
The SPARROW Study is a prospective, multicenter observational study designed to compare these two surgical approaches in patients with splenic flexure cancer. The study will include about 140 patients (70 in each group) from multiple tertiary colorectal centers in Turkey and Europe.
Researchers will collect information about each patient's surgery, recovery, and follow-up outcomes. The main outcomes include postoperative ileus, leakage at the surgical connection (anastomosis), wound infection, and total postoperative complications. Other outcomes include number of lymph nodes removed, complete tumor resection (R0), hospital stay, recovery time, reoperation, and 3-year overall and disease-free survival.
By analyzing both short- and long-term results, the SPARROW Study aims to provide high-quality evidence to guide surgeons in choosing the best and safest operation for patients with splenic flexure cancers.
All participants will provide written informed consent before joining the study. The study has received ethical approval from the Koç University Ethics Committee and will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
Study Rationale:
Splenic flexure cancers pose unique surgical challenges due to their variable blood supply and lymphatic drainage. The optimal extent of resection remains controversial, with both extended right and left colectomy approaches showing different technical advantages. However, there are no prospective multicenter data comparing their perioperative and oncologic outcomes.
Study Design:
This is a prospective, multicenter observational cohort study involving tertiary colorectal cancer centers. The study will enroll 140 consecutive adult patients (≥18 years old) undergoing elective curative resection for histologically confirmed splenic flexure adenocarcinoma. Surgical approach-segmental or extended colectomy-will be chosen according to the operating surgeon's routine practice and preference, not assigned by randomization.
Primary Outcomes:
Postoperative ileus (incidence and duration)
Anastomotic leakage
Wound infection
Total postoperative complications
Secondary Outcomes:
Lymph node yield and R0 resection rate
Postoperative mortality
Operation time and estimated blood loss
Hospital stay, return to regular diet, and time to first flatus
Reoperation rates
3-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS)
Timeline:
Study start: 2025
Enrollment period: 24 months
Follow-up: 36 months per patient
Total duration: approximately 5 years
Ethical Conduct:
Ethical approval was obtained from the Koç University Ethics Committee. Each participating center will obtain local ethics approval. The study adheres to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice (GCP).
Expected Impact:
This will be the first prospective multicenter observational study to compare segmental and extended hemicolectomy for splenic flexure cancers. The results will help standardize surgical decision-making and improve patient outcomes for this uncommon and technically challenging tumor location.
2,457 studies on the registry are indexed under Colonic Neoplasms; 458 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 140 is below the median of 227 across 555 observational studies indexed under Colonic Neoplasms.
Browse Colonic Neoplasms studies →Acibadem University is the lead sponsor of 220 studies on the registry; 51 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
This study will include adult patients diagnosed with splenic flexure adenocarcinoma who undergo elective curative resection (segmental or extended hemicolectomy) at participating tertiary colorectal surgery centers in Turkey and Europe. All patients will be treated according to the surgeon's standard practice and institutional protocols. Data will be collected prospectively for both perioperative and follow-up outcomes as part of the multicenter SPARROW Study.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Histologically or cytologically confirmed
The diagnosis was confirmed by looking at a sample under a microscope: tissue from a biopsy or surgery (histology), or cells from a fluid or needle sample (cytology).
Your pathology report is the document that shows this.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Metastases
Cancer that has spread from where it began to other parts of the body. “Metastatic” cancer is cancer that has spread this way.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Extended hemicolectomy involves removal of a larger segment of colon that includes the splenic flexure tumor and its associated lymphatic drainage. The procedure typically includes ligation of the relevant feeding arteries-such as the right, middle, and left colic branches-and resection of adjacent colon segments to achieve an oncologically adequate specimen with tension-free anastomosis. The extent of resection and vascular ligation is determined according to surgeon preference and tumor location. This approach may be performed using open, laparoscopic, or robotic techniques, depending on institutional practice.
Also known as: Extended Hemicolectomy, Segmental Colectomy
Incidence of Postoperative Ileus After Surgery for Splenic Flexure Cancer
The presence of postoperative ileus will be evaluated as the main indicator of early perioperative recovery. Ileus is defined as intolerance to oral intake and absence of bowel function beyond the expected postoperative period, requiring nasogastric decompression or delayed diet advancement. Data will be collected from medical records and postoperative progress notes. Additional related variables-such as the duration of ileus, need for nasogastric tube reinsertion, and time to first flatus-will also be recorded.
Time frame: Within 30 days after surgery
PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data (IPD) underlying the published results will be shared, including baseline demographic information, surgical approach (segmental vs. extended hemicolectomy), operative characteristics, short-term perioperative outcomes, and follow-up survival data. No directly identifiable information (such as names, contact details, or institutional identifiers) will be included. Data will be available in a secure, de-identified format for qualified researchers upon reasonable request to the SPARROW Study Steering Committee through the Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (TKRCD), following approval of a data-use agreement and ethical review.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form
Time frame: De-identified individual participant data (IPD) and supporting materials will be available beginning 12 months after publication of the primary manuscript and will remain available indefinitely for qualified researchers upon reasonable request.
Access criteria: Qualified researchers affiliated with academic institutions, professional societies, or healthcare organizations may request access to the de-identified dataset, study protocol, statistical analysis plan, and informed consent form. Requests should be submitted in writing to the SPARROW Study Steering Committee via the Turkish Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (TKRCD). Access will be granted after approval of the research proposal and signing of a data-use agreement ensuring ethical conduct, confidentiality, and non-commercial use. Data will be shared electronically through a secure, password-protected institutional platform.
Eligibility is decided by the study team. Share this record with your doctor or contact the team directly.
No contact was published for this record. The registry link below has the sponsor’s details.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.