Background: In some surgical disciplines, navigation-assisted surgery has become standard of care, but in rectal cancer, indications for navigation and the utility of different technologies remain undetermined.
Methods: The NAVI-LARRC prospective study (NCT04512937; IDEAL Stage 2a) evaluated feasibility of navigation in patients with locally advanced primary (LARC) and recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC). Included patients had advanced tumours with high risk of incomplete (R1/R2) resection, and navigation was considered likely to improve the probability of complete resection (R0).