Introduction: follow-up after curative resection for colorectal cancer
Background[edit source]
The debate regarding the rigour and intensity of follow-up investigations is complex.
Patient surveillance following curative resection for colorectal cancer varies from minimal to intensive follow-up. There is no consensus on the definition of these approaches and, therefore, there are many different protocols for minimal and intensive follow-up.
Minimal follow-up may include clinical assessment with or without carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) testing and colonoscopy. Alternatively, minimal follow-up can involve performing investigations only when patients become symptomatic.
Intensive follow-up may include, in addition to clinical assessment and CEA, computed tomography (CT) and/or positron emission tomography (PET) at regular intervals.
Intensive follow-up after curative resection for colorectal cancer is common practice, but the evidence to date has been limited and non-conclusive.