The diagnostic yield of colonoscopic surveillance following resection of early age onset colorectal cancer

Abstract

BackgroundThe primary benefit of post‐colorectal cancer (CRC) colonoscopic surveillance is to detect and remove premalignant lesions to prevent metachronous CRC. Current guidelines for long‐term colonoscopic surveillance post early age onset CRC (EOCRC) resection are based on limited evidence. The aims of this study were to assess the diagnostic yield of colonoscopic surveillance post‐EOCRC resection and identify molecular and clinicopathological risk factors associated with advanced neoplasia.MethodologyA retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data was conducted at St Mark's hospital, London, United Kingdom, for patients diagnosed with EOCRC who underwent at least one episode of post‐CRC colonoscopic surveillance between 1978 and 2022. We collected clinicopathological data including tumour molecular status and neoplasia detection rates.ResultsIn total, 908 colonoscopic surveillance procedures were performed in 195 patients over 2581.3 person‐years of follow‐up. The diagnostic yields of metachronous CRC, advanced adenomas and non‐advanced adenomas were 1.76%, 3.41% and 22.69% respectively. Sixteen patients (8.21%) developed metachronous CRC, and the majority (87.5%) were detected more than 3 years post index EOCRC diagnosis. Detection of advanced neoplasia was significantly higher in EOCRC patients with Lynch syndrome (26.15%) compared with those in whom Lynch syndrome was excluded (13.13%) (OR, 2.343; 95% CI, 1.014–5.256; p = 0.0349).ConclusionsDuring colonoscopic surveillance post‐EOCRC resection, the long‐term risk of developing metachronous advanced neoplasia remains high in the context of Lynch syndrome, but this trend is not as clearly evident when Lynch syndrome has been excluded.