Comparison of clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis between early and late recurrence after curative surgery for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND: Despite curative surgery for colorectal cancer, some patients experience tumor recurrence. Whether early recurrence is associated with a shorter postrecurrence survival period compared with late recurrence remains unknown. METHODS: A total of 395 patients with tumor recurrence after curative surgery for colorectal cancer were enrolled and divided into early (<3 years) and late (≥3 years) recurrence groups. Clinicopathologic characteristics, recurrence patterns, and postrecurrence survival were compared. RESULTS: For stage I and II colorectal cancer, patients with T4 lesions tended to experience early recurrence. For stage III colorectal cancer, early recurrence was more common in patients with N2 disease. Patients with older age, mucinous-type tumors, poorly differentiated histology, the presence of lymphovascular invasion, or multiple site recurrence tended to die <2 years after recurrence. Median postrecurrence survival was similar for the 2 groups. Patients undergoing resection of liver or lung metastases demonstrated longer postrecurrence survival compared with those who did not undergo resection. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with late recurrence, early recurrence does not indicate a worse outcome in colorectal cancer.