Will My Colorectal Cancer Return?
Many colorectal cancer patients worry about their cancer returning after surgery and wonder if further treatment is needed. Doctors determine their recommendations primarily based on the cancer’s severity, or stage. Staging reflects several factors, including whether cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes surrounding the tumor.
Unfortunately, 1 in 5 patients who are thought to be cancer-free after surgery experience a recurrence of their cancer, presumably through cancer metastases missed during microscopic examination of the lymph nodes. With recent advances in genomic research, however, more sensitive tests are becoming available.
For example, the technology used in the Previstage™ GCC Colorectal Cancer Staging Test provides 100,000 times more sensitivity than microscopic examination and examines 375 times more of the lymph node. This significantly improves the information available for making critical treatment decisions. Learn More