Cherri S, Salvi D, Pezzuto E, Tabbone E, Zaniboni A, Cesaro P. Endoscopic follow-up in colorectal cancer: Comparisons and critical issues across different guidelines. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(32): 120118 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.120118]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Daniele Salvi, MD, Consultant, Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, Via Bissolati, Brescia 25124, Lombardy, Italy. daniele.salvi@poliambulanza.it
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
review-article
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Cherri S, Salvi D, Pezzuto E, Tabbone E, Zaniboni A, Cesaro P. Endoscopic follow-up in colorectal cancer: Comparisons and critical issues across different guidelines. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(32): 120118 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.120118]
Author contributions: Cherri S and Salvi D made equal contributions as co-first authors; Cherri S, Salvi D, Tabbone E, and Pezzuto E contributed to drafting of the manuscript; Cherri S, Salvi D, and Pezzuto E contributed to tables and figures; Cesaro P and Zaniboni A contributed to critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The manuscript has undergone language polishing to adapt English! No other use of AI in this manuscript except for grammar checking and phrase rephrasing. No AI used to write the paper or to design the study. No images generated by AI.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Daniele Salvi, MD, Consultant, Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, Via Bissolati, Brescia 25124, Lombardy, Italy. daniele.salvi@poliambulanza.it
Received: February 24, 2026 Revised: March 31, 2026 Accepted: May 14, 2026 Published online: August 28, 2026 Processing time: 170 Days and 6.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Endoscopy plays a central role in the long-term follow-up of patients treated for colorectal cancer, enabling early detection of recurrence and prevention of new primary tumors. Surveillance strategies should be risk-adapted, accounting for the natural history of precursor lesions, resection quality, and the distinct clinical settings of surgery, endoscopic resection, and non-operative management. The growing adoption of organ-preserving approaches, such as watch-and-wait after total neoadjuvant therapy and immunotherapy-induced complete responses in microsatellite instability-high/deficient mismatch repair tumors, requires more intensive and prolonged endoscopic monitoring. The goal is to develop clear, standardized algorithms that integrate clinical factors and emerging molecular biomarkers to ensure effective, personalized, and safe follow-up for patients with colorectal cancer.
