title: Second-look surgery for recurrent colorectal carcinoma: is it worthwhile?
abstract: Second-look surgery for recurrent colorectal carcinoma has been advocated for over four decades. Routine follow-up procedures gave way to clinically directed or carcinoembryonic (CEA)-directed procedures in the mid-1970's. In this paper, we review the results of second-look surgery for recurrent colorectal carcinoma and ask the question, "Is it worthwhile?" Excluding surgery for symptomatic patients, we conclude that second-look surgery should only be performed for recurrent colorectal carcinoma with the intent of rendering the patient disease-free. Without effective systemic therapy, "palliative" or "debulking" procedures probably do not increase survival. The most likely candidates for such a curative approach with second-look surgery are those with isolated liver, pulmonary, and, less frequently, regional recurrences.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cancer Biology, New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02215.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bleday
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Steele
mesh_terms: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D012086:Reoperation
chemical_list: D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen