Association Between Enrollment in an Enhanced Recovery Program for Colorectal Cancer Surgery and Long-Term Recurrence and Survival

IntroductionEnhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs have been shown to minimize the surgical inflammatory response in colorectal cancer, leading to early patient recovery and better postoperative outcomes. Our objective was to determine the association between an ERAS program for colorectal cancer surgery and oncologic recurrence and survival.MethodsA before-after intervention study was designed including patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery between November 2010 and March 2016. During the study period the institutional criteria for adjuvant therapy remained unchanged and all patients were followed up for 5 years. Cox hazard regression analysis was performed per cumulative year of follow up to evaluate the association between ERAS program exposure and overall survival, cancer-related mortality, and oncologic recurrence. Subgroup analysis was performed by cancer stage (low [I/II] vs advanced [III/IV]).ResultsIn total, 612 patients were included, of which 321 were pre-ERAS and 291 ERAS. Our overall median compliance rate with ERAS interventions was 90% (IQR 85%-95%). Overall survival rates were higher in the ERAS group within the first 2-years after surgery (89.2% vs 83.2%, P=0.04), but there was no difference at 5-year follow up (73.3% vs 72.5%, P=0.82). Subgroup analysis revealed the ERAS enrollment was associated with a significantly lower risk in 5-year oncologic recurrence (aHR 0.55, 95%CI 0.33-0.94, P=0.03) and higher 4-year survival (aHR 0.59, 95%CI 0.37-0.93, P=0.02) among patients with advanced cancer stage compared to pre-ERAS counterparts. ConclusionsPatients with advanced colorectal cancer were less likely to suffer oncologic recurrence when managed during the ERAS period. Additional prospective trials are necessary to determine causation and identify best practice principles associated with long-term recurrence and survival.