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. webmd medical reference from healthwise this information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information. © 1995-2011 healthwise incorporated. healthwise healthwise for every health decision and the healthwise logo are trademarks of healthwise incorporated.
how can colorectal cancer metastatic or recurrent be prevented?