Role of regular follow-up after curative surgery for colorectal cancer

Wook Min Byung, Won Um Jun, Young Moon Hong

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    1 Citation (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Background/Aims: This investigation aimed to estimate the value of regular follow-up programs after curative resection for colorectal cancer. Methodology: We compared the recurrence rate, rate of curative re-resection, and survival rate between groups who had either regular or irregular follow-up. The medical records of 397 consecutive patients, who underwent a curative resection for colorectal cancer between January 1994 and December 1997, were analyzed retrospectively. Results: The recurrence rate was 19.4% and 20.8% in the regular and irregular follow-up groups (P>0.05), respectively. There was a significant difference in the asymptomatic recurrence rate (62.9 vs. 18.7 %; P=0.021), but curative re-resection was possible in 18 (29.0%) of those patients with cancer recurrence in the regular follow-up group, and in 2 (12.5%) in the irregular follow-up group, which was not significantly different (P>0.05). 5-year survival rate between the groups was not significantly different (78.1 vs. 61.2%; P>0.05). Conclusions: A regular follow-up program after a curative resection for colorectal cancer, although facilitating detection of recurrence before symptoms developed, was unlikely to succeed in increasing the rate of a curative intent re-resection and survival remarkably.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)63-66
    Number of pages4
    JournalHepato-gastroenterology
    Volume54
    Issue number73
    Publication statusPublished - 2007 Jan

    Keywords

    • Colorectal cancer
    • Regular follow-up
    • Survival benefit

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Hepatology
    • Gastroenterology

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