Thoracoscopic versus Open Oesophagectomy for Thoracic Oesophageal Cancer: Insights from the JCOG1409 MONET Trial

MedXY Editorial Team•Oct 19, 2025•General Surgery

The JCOG1409 MONET trial is the first large-scale, multicentre, randomized controlled study comparing thoracoscopic versus open oesophagectomy with overall survival as the primary endpoint in thoracic oesophageal cancer.
Thoracoscopic oesophagectomy demonstrated non-inferior 3-year overall survival compared to open oesophagectomy, with a survival rate of 82.0% versus 70.9%, respectively.
Perioperative morbidity and severe complications were comparable between both surgical approaches, though pneumonia was less frequent in the thoracoscopic group.
The trial supports thoracoscopic oesophagectomy as a standard surgical approach for selected patients with resectable thoracic oesophageal cancer in Japan.

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This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.

The JCOG1409 MONET trial is the first large-scale, multicentre, randomized controlled study comparing thoracoscopic versus open oesophagectomy with overall survival as the primary endpoint in thoracic oesophageal cancer.
Thoracoscopic oesophagectomy demonstrated non-inferior 3-year overall survival compared to open oesophagectomy, with a survival rate of 82.0% versus 70.9%, respectively.
Perioperative morbidity and severe complications were comparable between both surgical approaches, though pneumonia was less frequent in the thoracoscopic group.
The trial supports thoracoscopic oesophagectomy as a standard surgical approach for selected patients with resectable thoracic oesophageal cancer in Japan.