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Table 1 Sites of recurrent disease and screening tests for colorectal cancer.

From: Follow-up of patients with curatively resected colorectal cancer: a practice guideline

Site of Recurrence

Percent of Patients with Recurrence at 5 Years by Site of Initial Tumoura

Screening Tests

 

Colon

Rectum

 

Liver

35

30

CEA, US or CT, RIS?, Sx

Lung

20

30

Chest x-ray, CEA, Sx

Peritoneal

20

20

CEA, Sx, CT, RIS?

Retroperitoneal

15

5b

CEA, CT, RIS?, Sx

Peripheral Lymph Nodes

2

7b

Physical exam, CEA

Other (brain, bones)

<5

<5

Sx, scans

Loco-regional

15

35b

CT pelvis, CEA, RIS? Sx, endoscopy? FOB?

Second or metachronous colorectal cancer

3

3

Colonoscopy, FOB?

  1. Note: ?, questionable test; CEA, carcinoembrionic antigen; CT, computerized tomography; FOB, fecal occult blood; RIS, radioimmunoscintigraphy; Sx, symptoms; US, ultrasound. a Data modified from Galandiuk et al (4). The median time to recurrence is significantly shorter for stage C versus B and for lesions that originally had perforation or adhesion/invasion of surrounding structures (p < 0.01). b Indicates significant differences (p < 0.05).