Background/aims: The aims of the present study were to determine the frequency of interval colorectal cancers (CRCs) after surveillance colonoscopy and to compare the clinicopathologic features and survival outcomes with those of non-interval CRCs.
Methods: From January 2003 to December 2013, 66,016 follow-up colonoscopies for 38,412 patients performed within recommended time were reviewed retrospectively based on data from 11 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. To compare clinicopathologic features and survival rates for interval CRC, 106 patients with non-interval CRC matched in age and gender were included.
Results: Among the 66,016 colonoscopies performed within the surveillance period, 63 cases (63/66,016) of interval CRC were detected, and 53 were finally included in the analysis. The mean age was 69.9±8.8 years, and the male to female ratio was 1.94:1. Although the occurrence rate of cancer in the right side colon was higher than that of non-interval CRC, interval CRCs were predominantly left sided. Other clinicopathologic features and overall survival were not significantly different between the two groups. Missed lesion was suspected to be the most common cause (29 cases, 54.7%).
Conclusions: The frequency of interval CRC among patients who had undergone a surveillance colonoscopy was 0.095%. While sharing some similar clinical features and survival outcomes, interval CRCs in Korea developed more often in males and on the left side in contrast to results from Western studies.
Keywords: Colonoscopy; Interval colorectal neoplasms; Surveillance.