Nationwide cohort study of trends in incidence of recurrence and time to recurrence in stage I to III colorectal cancer in Denmark

Management of colorectal cancer (CRC) has been updated continuously over the past 2 decades. While the combination of these initiatives has had implication for improved survival, the implications for rates of recurrence remain unexplored. A nationwide Danish cohort study investigated rates of recurrence and time to recurrence within 5 years from surgery with curative intent for stages I to III CRC from 2004 to 2019. In this study of 34,166 patients, the risk of recurrence decreased over time, while higher disease stage was associated with shorter time from surgery to recurrence. Screening-detected CRC was associated with a lower risk of recurrence. The authors conclude that findings of this study suggest that the risk of CRC recurrence and the time from surgery to recurrence differ between patient groups, highlighting the importance of further research on risk-stratified surveillance.