Long-term outcomes of bridge to surgery using colonic stents and emergency surgery in right-sided obstructive colon cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the long-term oncological outcomes of colonic stenting as a bridge to surgery (BTS) compared with emergency surgery (ES) in patients with right-sided obstructive colon cancer (OCC). A systematic literature search of the MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and ICHUSHI-Web databases up to January 2026 identified studies comparing disease-free survival (DFS) and/or overall survival (OS) between BTS and ES. A meta-analysis was conducted using random-effects model. Five retrospective studies comprising 609 patients (BTS, n = 207; ES, n = 402) were included, with three studies from China and two from South Korea. The pooled analysis showed no significant difference in DFS between BTS and ES (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.65-1.14; P = 0.30), without heterogeneity (χ² = 0.38; I² = 0%; P = 0.94). Similarly, OS was comparable between the two groups (HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.76-1.29; P = 0.93), without heterogeneity (χ² = 2.82; I² = 0%; P = 0.59). Although no significant differences in the long-term oncological outcomes were observed between BTS and ES, these findings should be interpreted with caution because the available evidence remains limited. Further prospective studies are warranted to clarify the long-term oncological impact of BTS in patients with right-sided OCC.