Clinical follow-up and treatment of locally recurrent colorectal cancer

Following 630 potentially curative resections, three patients had reoperations for metachronous tumors and 36 for local recurrences. Twenty-four of the latter were identified at follow-up clinic, but 12 presented as emergencies with obstruction. At reoperation only five patients had obvious hepatic metastases. Further colon resections were performed in ten patients. Nine of the 36 survived more than 12 months and three are alive and well over five years after reoperation.