BACKGROUND: Current evidence suggests a survival benefit to post-operative surveillance following curative @entity14 resection; however, there is still no consensus on the optimal duration and form. OBJECTIVES: The objective is to prospectively audit outcomes of an intensive @entity14 follow-up scheme for time to recurrence and survival. METHODS: We used a surveillance protocol designed to incorporate regular clinical, biochemical, radiological and endoscopic measures at pre-defined intervals. SETTING: The setting was a Department of Colorectal Surgery in a Tertiary Academic Centre. Follow-up was led by specially trained colorectal nurses in conjunction with surgeons. @entity1 : Consecutive @entity1 who had undergone curative treatment for @entity14 were included in this study. MAIN OUTCOMES: Outcomes were measured in terms of overall survival and disease recurrence. RESULTS: There were 436 @entity1 entered into follow-up, all treated with curative intent. Mean age 65.9  years (SD 12.9  years) and 240 male (55.0  %). Ninety-four @entity1 (21.5  %) with stage I disease, 119 (27.3  %) stage IIa, 30 (6.9  %) stage IIb, 18 (4.1  %) stage IIIa, 78 (17.9  %) stage IIIb, 45 (10.4  %) stage IIIc and 52 (11.9  %) stage IV. Overall median survival was 37.5  months for all @entity1 , (range 0.0-207.8  months). Ninety-two (21.1  %) @entity5 were recorded during the course of the study. The overall 5-year actuarial cancer-related survival was 81.7  %. There was a 40.3  % 5-year actuarial survival was recorded in @entity1 with 39 a recurrence, 57.7  % in @entity1 treated with further curative 40 intent and 27.7  % in @entity1 who received palliative treatment 41 (P   <   0.001). Ninety-seven percent of recurrences were detected within 4  years of curative treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This follow-up protocol confers an 81  % overall 5-year actuarial survival. Our study suggests that surveillance after curative resection can be limited to 4  years, which would lead to detection of over 97  % of all recurrences.

Intensive surveillance following curative treatment of XXXX allows effective treatment of recurrence even if limited to 4  years.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['PATIENTS', 'patients'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['cancer-related deaths'] @entity14 :: ('MESH:D015179', 'Disease') :: ['colorectal cancer']
@entity14 :: (MESH:D015179,Disease) :: ['colorectal cancer']
