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World J Gastrointest Surg. Jul 27, 2026; 18(7): 119305
Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.119305
Published online Jul 27, 2026. doi: 10.4240/wjgs.119305
Relationship between postoperative tumor recurrence time and long-term survival in colorectal cancer patients
Xiang-Mao Zhou, Zhi-Yao Zeng, Bing-Gang Liu, Hai-Bo Qu, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, Yongzhou 425000, Hunan Province, China
Na-Na Yin, Department of Gynecology, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, Yongzhou 425000, Hunan Province, China
Author contributions: Zhou XM and Qu HB designed the study; Zeng ZY and Liu BG collected and analyzed the data; Yin NN assisted with data organization; Zhou XM drafted the manuscript. All authors approved the final version.
Institutional review board statement: This study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of The Central Hospital of Yongzhou (Approval No. 2025120501). All procedures were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and relevant institutional guidelines.
Informed consent statement: Given the retrospective design of this study, the requirement for written informed consent was waived by the Ethics Committee of The Central Hospital of Yongzhou. All patient data were anonymized prior to analysis, and no identifiable personal information was included.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this study.
Data sharing statement: The datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Hai-Bo Qu, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Central Hospital of Yongzhou, No. 396 Yiyun Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, Hunan Province, China. quhaibo576@163.com
Received: January 23, 2026
Revised: February 24, 2026
Accepted: April 7, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 185 Days and 1.1 Hours
Revised: February 24, 2026
Accepted: April 7, 2026
Published online: July 27, 2026
Processing time: 185 Days and 1.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study demonstrates that postoperative recurrence time is a strong and independent predictor of long-term outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Early recurrence (≤ 2 years after surgery) is associated with more aggressive pathological features and significantly worse overall survival and post-recurrence survival compared with late recurrence. Recurrence time provides prognostic information beyond tumor-node-metastasis staging and helps refine follow-up strategies and guide individualized treatment. Incorporating recurrence time into clinical decision-making may improve risk stratification and management of CRC patients.