title: Clinicopathologic factors affecting recurrence after curative surgery for stage I colorectal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the current study was to identify the clinicopathological risk factors affecting recurrence after a curative resection for stage I colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied 434 patients who underwent a curative resection for stage I colorectal cancer between January 1999 and December 2004. Postoperative oral chemotherapy was performed in 189 patients (45.3%). The following prognostic factors were correlated with recurrence: age, gender, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level, location of tumor, T stage, size of tumor, histologic differentiation, growth pattern, and lymphovascular invasion. The median follow-up duration was 65 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall recurrence rate was 4.6% (20/434). The median time to recurrence was 33 months. Two-thirds of the recurrence occurred more than two years after surgery. Risk factors associated with recurrence were rectal cancer (P = 0.009), T2 stage (P = 0.010), and infiltrative growth pattern (P = 0.020). A Cox proportional hazards regression analysis demonstrated that the infiltrative growth pattern was an independent predictor for recurrence. Tumor cell budding was observed in all pathologic reviews with recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term follow-up is necessary for stage I colorectal patients with high risk factors like rectal cancer, T2 stage, and infiltrative growth pattern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Ae
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Keum
authors.forename: Seok-Byung
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sun A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Chan Wook
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chang Sik
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Jin Cheon
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Kim