Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul 22;33(8):710.
doi: 10.1007/s00520-025-09762-6.

Colorectal cancer survivorship program at a single tertiary centre: has service provision changed after COVID-19?

Rachael Menadue #  1 , Lea Tiffany #  1 , Shriranshini Satheakeerthy  2 , Aditya Sakalkale  2 , Matthew Wei  1   2 , Fiona Reid  1   2 , Ian Faragher  1   2 , Justin M Yeung  3   4
Affiliations

Colorectal cancer survivorship program at a single tertiary centre: has service provision changed after COVID-19?

Rachael Menadue et al. Support Care Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Surveillance after colorectal cancer (CRC) resection is an important aspect of survivorship care. This study aimed to assess whether there were any changes to post-operative surveillance uptake in non-metastatic CRC patients and pre- and post-COVID pandemic in Victoria.

Methods: All CRC patients (Stages I-III) who underwent curative surgery at Western Health, Victoria, Australia, were included. Surveillance included a three-monthly clinical review and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) up to 18 months and CT imaging and colonoscopy at 12 months following surgical resection.

Results: Between 2019 and 2022, 380 patients were identified. Stage III patients had the highest uptake with regard to clinical reviews, CEA testing and 12-month CT (83.3%, 60.3% and 85.5%, respectively) while Stage I patients had the lowest (52.7%, 35.7% and 75.5% respectively) (p < 0.05). Colonoscopy surveillance was low regardless of stage (66.3%, 59.8% and 59.7% of Stages I, II and III, respectively). Uptake of CEA, clinic reviews and colonoscopy did not vary during our study period. More patients underwent 12-month CT following the COVID pandemic (87%) compared to pre-COVID (73.1%) or during COVID (76%, p < 0.05). There was no difference in 18-month mortality and overall recurrence during our study timelines.

Conclusion: Lower-stage CRC patients had lower rates of surveillance uptake, in particular, with CEA blood tests and colonoscopy. Survivorship provision did not change pre- or post-COVID.

Keywords: COVID-19; Colorectal cancer; Surveillance.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants provided informed consent, and ethical approval was obtained where applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Audit standard: Surveillance protocol
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Percentage of patients who have completed their 12-month colonoscopy surveillance within the 6-week grace period
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. AIHW. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2021) Cancer in Australia 2021. 2021;Cat. no. CAN 117(Cancer Series No. 114).
    1. Meyerhardt JA, Mangu PB, Flynn PJ, Korde L, Loprinzi CL, Minsky BD et al (2013) Follow-up care, surveillance protocol, and secondary prevention measures for survivors of colorectal cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline endorsement. J Clin Oncol 31(35):4465–4470 - PubMed
    1. Lee P, Beale P, Gilmore A, Party CCACCGW (2017) Health professionals performing follow-up and suggested follow-up schedule. Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention, early detection and management of colorectal cancer: Cancer Council Australia.
    1. Pellegrino SA, Chan S, Simons K, Kinsella R, Gibbs P, Faragher IG et al (2021) Patterns of surveillance for colorectal cancer: experience from a single large tertiary institution. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol 17(4):343–349 - PubMed
    1. Smith JJ, Young JM, Boyle FM, Solomon MJ (2020) Adherence to surveillance testing after curative resection for colorectal cancer in a publicly funded healthcare system: a multicenter analysis. Dis Colon Rectum 63(10):1375–1385. 10.1097/DCR.0000000000001762

Substances

LinkOut - more resources