Johns Hopkins Health Alert
After 8 Years: “Prognosis Excellent”
Here’s good news if you underwent chemotherapy at least eight years ago for colon cancer: Your risk of a recurrence is minimal.
Researchers examined data on 20,898 people with stage II or III colon cancer who underwent successful surgery followed by a chemotherapy regimen that included fluorouracil, also called 5-FU. The researchers found that 35% of the patients had experienced a recurrence and 38% had died of colon cancer within eight years of cancer treatment. Most of the recurrences occurred in the first two years after surgery. After that, the recurrence rate dropped dramatically, with a very low risk of recurrence after five years and an even lower risk at eight years. In other words, the regimen actually cured cancer in some people rather than simply delaying a recurrence.
This study, which was reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Volume 27, page 872), provides evidence that chemotherapy has the ability to cure some patients by killing colon cancer cells. It also suggests that if you had chemotherapy and have been cancer free for eight years, you can stop worrying about a recurrence of colon cancer. In fact, current guidelines say you can stop getting regular surveillance scans five years after treatment.
Posted in Colon Cancer on November 3, 2010
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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