Prevention

There is no sure way to prevent colorectal cancer from returning or showing up in other parts of your body. After you have had it, your risk of having it again increases. When it comes back, it is called metastatic or recurrent colorectal cancer. It often comes back after surgery, especially if it was not discovered when it was in an early stage.² This does not mean it will come back in your case. Everyone is different.

Initial treatment for colorectal cancer is followed by regular doctor visits and screening to help catch the cancer if it returns.

As part of your follow-up visits, you may have:

• Physical exams. The frequency of your physical exams depends on your general health and the type of colorectal cancer you had. In general, you will see a doctor every 3 to 6 months for 3 years, and then once a year after that.
• Colonoscopy to look at the inside of your intestine for new problems.
• Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) blood test to check whether colorectal cancer has returned.
• Chest X-rays to find out whether cancer has returned to involve your lungs.
• Lab tests, such as a complete blood count and chemistry screen, to look for evidence of cancer.
• A computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to look inside your body.
• A positron emission tomography (PET) scan to look for and check any signs of cancer.