[Role of intensive follow-up in colorectal cancer surgery patients]

Authors analyze the role of follow-up after curative resection for colo-rectal cancer. In 129 patients (29.6%) a recurrence was observed, whilst in 6 (1.4%) a metachronous carcinoma was detected by endoscopy. Liver involvement was observed in 59 patients, lung metastasis in 18 and both liver and lung metastasis in 4. In 23 patients local recurrence (LR) was observed and in 25 both LR and liver metastasis were detected. 31 patients (24%) were submitted to surgery and 21 (16.2%) with curative purpose. As far as LR is concerned, 5 patients were operated (10%) with curative purpose and a 5 years survival of 40% was observed. Five years survival in 9 patients submitted to surgery with curative purpose (8.4%) for liver metastasis was 57.1%, whilst in 7 patients operated for lung metastasis (31.8%) it was 76%. All the 6 patients operated for metachronous carcinoma are still alive with a 2-5 years follow-up.