A study led by researchers in Southampton has highlighted the beneficial use of less invasive surgical techniques in treating liver cancer patients.

The ORANGE II Plus trial, international in its scope, was led in the UK by Professor John Primrose at University Hospital Southampton and made comparisons between laparoscopic (keyhole) surgery and major open surgery.

This research, undertaken across various European hospitals and coordinated by the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Southampton, reached its conclusions on January 7.

It found that patients who underwent the less invasive surgical procedure needed a shorter time to recover.

Faster recovery allowed patients to return to their normal daily activities sooner and receive further treatment, such as chemotherapy, more quickly.

The overall outcomes of their cancer treatment were not negatively affected.

John Primrose, professor of surgery at the University of Southampton and chief investigator of the ORANGE II Plus trial for the UK, said: "Traditionally, this operation involves making a large cut in the abdomen, through which part of the liver can be taken out.

"However, we wanted to see whether keyhole procedure, which requires several much smaller incisions to be made, could improve the way patients recover."

Zina Eminton, senior trial manager at the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit, said: "Each patient was then followed up to see how long their recovery took and how soon they could move on to having other treatments where needed."

The trial studied 332 patients who were diagnosed with either primary liver cancer or cancer that had spread to the liver.

Surgery to remove the affected liver portion remains the main treatment.

Approximately 6,200 people receive liver cancer diagnoses each year in the UK.

The results, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, also suggested that a shift towards keyhole surgery could reduce the overall treatment costs for liver cancer patients who require surgery, suggesting potential savings for the health service down the line.

The team that led the research is based in the Netherlands and funded by Cancer Research UK.