Copyright
©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. May 15, 2014; 6(5): 104-111
Published online May 15, 2014. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v6.i5.104
Published online May 15, 2014. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v6.i5.104
Do the benefits outweigh the side effects of colorectal cancer surveillance? A systematic review
Knut Magne Augestad, Benjamin Crawshaw, Conor Delaney, Department of Colorectal Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States
Knut Magne Augestad, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University Hospital North Norway, 9037 Breivika, Tromsø, Norway
Knut Magne Augestad, Norwegian National Center of Integrated Care and Telemedicine, Tromsø, Norway
Johnie Rose, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States
Gregory Cooper, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States
Gregory Cooper, Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States
Author contributions: Augestad KM, Rose J, Crawshaw B, Cooper G and Delaney C solely contributed to this paper.
Supported by Norwegian Health Authorities Research Grant
Correspondence to: Knut Magne Augestad, MD, PhD, Department of Colorectal Surgery, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, 11100 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, United States. knut.magne.augestad@telemed.no
Telephone: +1-47-97499442 Fax: +1-47-97499442
Received: November 26, 2013
Revised: February 12, 2014
Accepted: April 16, 2014
Published online: May 15, 2014
Revised: February 12, 2014
Accepted: April 16, 2014
Published online: May 15, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Most western countries have a national follow-up program for colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. The reported reduction in absolute mortality from intensive follow-up is 5%-10%, though recent data from the follow-up after colorectal surgery randomized trial call this effect into question. There exists limited evidence of improved quality of life (QoL) due to participation in a follow-up program, and the impact of false positive tests on QoL might be considerable. Several national experts advocate for low-cost, low-intensity CRC follow-up programs.