Follow-up in colorectal cancer: cost-effectiveness analysis of established and novel concepts.
BACKGROUND
Follow-up programs in colorectal cancer have been under question recently due to their low efficacy. Some meta-analyses found a survival benefit and four randomized studies suggested the opposite. Therefore, this paper analyzes existing and proposed follow-up programs for costs and efficacy.


METHODS
One thousand and fifty-four colorectal cancer patients intensively followed-up in Ulm (endoscopy, chest radiography, abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) pelvis) were prospectively evaluated for recurrence, salvage surgery rate, survival and costs. Costs were compared among existing and proposed international follow-up programs retrieved by a MedLine search.


RESULTS
A total of 350/1,054 colorectal cancer patients (33.2%) relapsed asymptomatically, as detected by follow-up. 56/350 (local 47%, distant 53%) recurrences were resectable (16%), 21/350 patients survived (6%). The efficacy of follow-up was 21/1,054 patients (2%). Costs were, per patient, 2,220 euros (colon) or 4,851 euros (rectum). Costs in five randomized studies varied between 616 euros for minimal and 5,049 euros for intensive follow-up. Four proposed follow-up concepts include risk-adaption, which claim to reduce costs by 50-60% and range between 889 (colorectal) and 5,910 (high-risk, rectum) euros. The recommended German follow-up guideline costs 610 euros (low-risk, colorectal), 1,120 euros (high-risk, colon) or 2,252 euros (high-risk, rectum).


CONCLUSIONS
Follow-up concepts for colorectal cancer should aim at the identification of curable patients with recurrence. Evidence-based concepts, including life quality tests, remain to be defined, but currently abdominal ultrasound, endoscopy and carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) determination at 6-month intervals for 2 years and annual intervals for 3 years seem to identify this patient sub-group.
Staib
L
L
Department of General and Visceral Surgery, University of Ulm, Germany.
Link
K H
KH
Beger
H G
HG
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery; D003113:Colonoscopy / Q000191:economics; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009780:Occult Blood; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000191:economics
D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen