UK Study to Seek Optimum Treatment Following Colorectal Surgery

A $1.75 million study, largest of its kind, is underway in the United Kingdom aimed at improving the survival rates of patients who have had surgery for colorectal cancer.

Doctors, health economists and primary care specialists from the Universities of Southampton and Oxford are leading the study that will involve 5,000 patients at 30 major hospital centers across the U.K.

Researchers want to study the cost-effectiveness and clinical benefits of various methods of managing patients following hospital treatment. Post-operative treatments to be studied range from minimal intervention all the way to maximum intervention where patients have regular intensive scans, bowel endoscopies and chemical marker tests to detect the presence of cancer cells.

Survival rates, quality of life measurements and cost of medical care for each treatment regimen will be compared during the five years post-surgery.

"We still don't know the best way to manage people after their initial operation even though this is a huge public health question," said Professor John Primrose, professor of surgery at the University of Southampton. "Practice varies around the country from people who get intensively followed up with regular scans to other patients who are effectively discharged and only return to their (doctors) if they have any worrying symptoms."

The goal of the study is to assess the clinical and cost-effectiveness of intensive versus no scheduled follow-up, said Primrose. "It may be that just having blood tests . . . might be as beneficial and considerably cheaper than regular CT scans at the hospital. Or it may be that intensive follow-ups increase survival rates enough to make this the best option."

Patients participating in the study will be referred to a multi-disciplinary team for appropriate and rapid treatment as soon as any recurrent disease is detected.

Other sources: University of Southampton