Risk of Recurrence Following Curative Colon Cancer Surgery: A Single Institution Experience

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Postoperative recurrence is a significant concern following surgical resection for nonmetastatic colon cancer.
• Clinical trial data may not fully represent real-world patient outcomes.
• Understanding recurrence in non-trial patients is crucial for accurate prognosis and quality benchmarking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the incidence of postoperative recurrence in nonmetastatic colon cancer patients not enrolled in clinical trials.
• To identify risk factors associated with postoperative recurrence in this patient population.
• To establish real-world data for quality improvement and patient counseling.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patients aged 18 years and older diagnosed with nonmetastatic colon adenocarcinoma.
• Inclusion criteria: no clinical trial enrollment, primary tumor resection between 2015-2023 at UCCCC.
• Data abstraction from the UCCCC registry for demographic and clinical variables.

Main Results:

• Study included 491 patients; overall recurrence rate was 14.5%.
• Median time to recurrence was 10 months, with 87.3% occurring at distant sites.
• Higher cancer stage correlated with increased recurrence (Stage I: 2%, Stage II: 14%, Stage III: 24%) and decreased survival.

Conclusions:

• This study provides real-world data on colon cancer recurrence incidence and risk factors in non-trial patients.
• Findings highlight the association between advanced stage and higher recurrence rates.
• Data can inform quality improvement initiatives and patient prognostication.