Background: Surgical treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) should be aimed primarily at achieving a combination of surgical-oncologic radicalness and the highest possible quality of life. In recent years, surgical therapy for T1 CRC has tended toward less radical interventions. The question regarding changes in survival and recurrence rates still is unanswered.
Methods: A retrospective medical chart review of patients surgically treated in our department for T1 CRC from January 1990 to December 2010 (n = 223) was performed. Charts were reviewed for tumor-specific parameters, local recurrence, distant metastasis, and patient survival. The different treatment options used were strictly separated for a more detailed workup.
Results: Radical resection (RR) was performed for 57.1 %, local resection (LR) for 14.8 %, and an endoscopic approach (EA) for 28.1 % of the study population. After receipt of the histology report, 35.7 % of the patients initially resected nonradically underwent reoperation, mostly using RR. Seven patients experienced a local recurrence over time (3.6 %): one after initial RR, three after LR, and three after EA. Systemic recurrence occurred for nine patients (4.6 %) over time, six of whom had undergone initial RR. High-risk criteria were shown for 20 T1 CRCs. For 60 % (12/20) of the patients, initial RR was performed. Radical reoperation was performed for 75 % of the nonradically treated high-risk tumors. One high-risk patient without reoperation experienced metastatic disease over time. The 5-year overall survival rate was 87.2 %, itemized for the defined subgroups as follows: 83.9 % for RR, 82.8 % for LR, and 58.2 % for EA.
Conclusion: Patients with T1 CRC had a distinctly higher incidence of local recurrence after EA or LR. Explicit workup in terms of risk classification is crucial to reducing the risk of local and systemic recurrence. A nonradical approach should be only a second option for patients with T1 CRC, namely, those solely in clearly low-risk situations or those with distinct comorbidities.