[Individual risk-related after-care in colorectal cancer?]

Efficacy of the regular follow-up program and influence on survival rate following treatment of recurrence were evaluated. 556 follow-up records of patients after resection of colorectal cancer were analysed. The primary drop-out rate was 12.4%. Recurrences were found in 26.6% (n = 128). 53.1% of recurrences were symptomatic at diagnosis of recurrence. Curative resection of recurrence was only performed in 19.5%. 46.1% were given palliative and 34.4 no specific oncologic treatment. We define efficacy as the rate of curative asymptomatic recurrence. This was 3.5% of all patients. From the curative resection of recurrence only 6 patients were free of recurrence longer than 2 years. No second resection of recurrence was possible. Different treatment of recurrence did influence the survival rate (p = 0.09). There was no difference in prognosis for asymptomatic and symptomatic recurrences (p greater than 0.8). In order to increase the efficacy of follow-up for colorectal cancer we are introducing a new concept based on individual risk factors.