Clinical significance of the first surveillance colonoscopy after endoscopic early colorectal cancer removal

Polyp missing rate and its associated risk factors of referring hospitals for endoscopic resection of advanced colorectal neoplasia

Missed polyps are frequently observed in surveillance colonoscopy or referral resection. We evaluated the polyp missing rate and its associated risk factors in patients who were referred to a tertiary hospital for endoscopic resection of advanced colorectal neoplasia.A total of 388 patients with advanced neoplasia who underwent colonoscopy in their referring hospitals and only endoscopic resection without total colonoscopy in Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital from 2009 to 2014 and who underwent surveillance colonoscopy within 6 to 12 months were retrospectively analyzed.The per-patient missing rate for polyps, adenomas, and advanced neoplasia in referring hospital were 58.2% (226 cases), 47.2% (183 cases), and 5.7% (22 cases), respectively. The advanced neoplasia in surveillance colonoscopy comprised the following: ≥1 cm lesions (11 cases, 50%), high-grade dysplasia (4 cases, 18.2%), villous adenoma (4 cases, 18.2%), and invasive cancer (3 cases, 13.6%). Risk factors for missed adenomas in multivariate analysis were ≥60 years (P = .004), male (P <.001), and no usage of the cap-assisted colonoscopy (P = .015). Missed polyps/adenomas were most frequent in the ascending colon (P <.001).The missing rate for polyps/adenomas of referring hospitals was higher than expected. Especially, patients with old age or male, or no usage of cap-assisted colonoscopy on initial colonoscopy were at increased risk of missed adenoma. Careful complete colonoscopy during referral resection or early surveillance colonoscopy is mandatory in the patients with advanced colorectal neoplasia and unknown-quality index colonoscopy.

Early detection of colorectal cancer recurrence in patients undergoing surgery with curative intent: current status and challenges

Despite advances in neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy, attention to proper surgical technique, and improved pathological staging for both the primary and metastatic lesions, almost half of all colorectal cancer patients will develop recurrent disease. More concerning, this includes ~25% of patients with theoretically curable node-negative, non-metastatic Stage I and II disease. Given the annual incidence of colorectal cancer, approximately 150,000 new patients are candidates each year for follow-up surveillance. When combined with the greater population already enrolled in a surveillance protocol, this translates to a tremendous number of patients at risk for recurrence. It is therefore imperative that strategies aim for detection of recurrence as early as possible to allow initiation of treatment that may still result in cure. Yet, controversy exists regarding the optimal surveillance strategy (high-intensity vs. traditional), ideal testing regimen, and overall effectiveness. While benefits may involve earlier detection of recurrence, psychological welfare improvement, and greater overall survival, this must be weighed against the potential disadvantages including more invasive tests, higher rates of reoperation, and increased costs. In this review, we will examine the current options available and challenges surrounding colorectal cancer surveillance and early detection of recurrence.