[Clinical postoperative surveillance of colorectal carcinoma]

Post-operative follow-up after "curative" surgery for patients affected by colon-rectal carcinoma depends upon multiple variables such as type of operation (conservative or wide surgery), adoption of neo-adjuvant or adjuvant treatments (i.e. radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy) to surgery, the availability of anatomo-pathological or biological parameters predictive of unfavourable prognosis. Even though an international agreement on follow-up policy has not still reached, patients with colon-rectum cancer should be intensively (every 6 months) checked in the first 3 years from surgery and every 12 months afterwards. An early detection of asymptomatic pelvic recurrences or abdominal neoplastic progression may help prolong survival of patients and improve their quality of life.