When Does Remission Become a “Cure” in Early-Stage Colon Cancer?

Guideline-based surveillance schedules for colon cancer recurrence are derived from large trials and cohort studies but have never been prospectively validated. To determine the point at which we might define remission as a “cure,” researchers examined the timing of recurrence in a pooled analysis of two databases comprising 15 randomized trials; 35,000 patients who had stage II or III cancers (stage III, 83%) and received adjuvant therapy after surgery were included.