The objective of the present study was to investigate the risk factors for developing metachronous colorectal adenomas and carcinomas during colonoscopic follow-up after initial resections. The study included 403 patients (mean age 66.2 ± 9.9 yr, M:F = 1.55:1) with initial endoscopic resections of colorectal adenomas and/or intramucosal carcinomas with repeated follow-up colonoscopies after at least a one-year interval (median follow-up period 73.9 ± 55.7 months). During surveillance, colorectal lesions less than 5 mm in diameter were not resected based on the concept of a semi-clean colon. They were classified into two patient groups according to the following clinical items at initial resection: age of patient (less or more than 65 yr), gender (male or female), number of colorectal lesions (single or multiple), size (less or more than 10 mm), location (left or right/both), histology (adenoma with low-grade dysplasia or high-grade dysplasia / cancer). Statistical comparisons were made by the Logrank test between two groups as for the cumulative percentages of patients with recurrent lesions, and those with recurrent index lesions (larger than 10 mm, adenoma with high-grade dysplasia or cancer). The cumulative percentages of patients with recurrent lesions were significantly higher in male patients (p<0.001), those with multiple lesions (p<0.0001), those with large lesions of more than 10 mm (p<0.001), those with right/both-sided lesions (p<0.05), and those with lesions of high-grade dysplasia or cancer (p<0.005). The cumulative percentage of patients with recurrent index lesions was significantly higher in male patients (p<0.01), those with multiple lesions (p<0.01), those with large lesions of more than 10 mm (p<0.0001), and those with lesions of high-grade dysplasia or cancer (p<0.0001). In conclusion, metachronous colorectal advanced lesions during surveillance were frequent among patients with multiple lesions, large lesions of more than 10 mm, and lesions with advanced pathology at initial resection.
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