Preoperative Weight Loss Lowers Complications in Colorectal Cancer Surgery

A preoperative weight loss program significantly improves outcomes for colorectal cancer patients with excess weight.

61% of patients in the diet intervention lost 5% or more of their weight, compared to just 9% in usual care (odds ratio 16.8).
Average weight loss in the intervention group was 6.1 kg, 4.3 kg more than controls.

Patient retention was 100%, with no safety concerns reported.

Weight loss correlates with improved postoperative outcomes: losing 3.2% or more cuts complications by 50%.

Multicenter Study by Koutoukidis DA, Jebb SA (…) Buczacki SJA et 19 al. in JAMA Netw Open

read the whole article in JAMA Netw Open

open it in PubMed

Summaries are written to help you decide what to read. They do not replace the full paper.

Free · 5 minutes a day

Get every new paper in Intestine and Lower Gastrointestinal Tract.

Plus the Daily Selection: the five most relevant papers of the day, each cut to its key points.

More in Intestine and Lower Gastrointestinal Tract

The latest stitches

Br J Surg4 Nov 2026

Robot matches laparoscopy for rectal cancer survival

Five years after surgery for low rectal cancer, patients operated on robotically did as well as those operated on laparoscopically, according to a randomized trial from three Korean centres.

Ann Surg Oncol2 Nov 2026

Smoking linked to weaker rectal cancer response

Patients smoking at diagnosis were less likely to have a favorable response to treatment before rectal cancer surgery; former smokers were not.

JAMA Surg30 Oct 2026

Subtotal colectomy matches total for constipation

For severe slow-transit constipation, removing less colon gave similar symptom relief at one year, with less early incontinence.

All papers in Intestine and Lower Gastrointestinal Tract →