In the as-treated analysis, the locoregional recurrence rates in patients with upper rectal cancers were 3.0% in the laparoscopic-surgery group and 3.9% in the open-surgery group (dif- ference, −0.9 percentage points; 90% CI, −4.6 to 2.8). In patients with middle rectal cancers, loco- regional recurrence rates were 5.7% and 4.1