Follow-Up Study of Patients Who Have Undergone Surgery for Stage I, Stage II, or Stage III Colorectal Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Diagnosis of primary colorectal cancer

  * Stage I-III disease
* Have undergone curative resection (i.e., no residual disease \[R0\])

  * Microscopically clear margins
* Complete normal colonic imaging pre-operatively (or post-operatively if unable to view complete colon pre-operatively) by colonoscopy, barium enema, CT pneumocolon, or virtual colonoscopy
* Post-operative blood CEA ≤ 10 ng/mL (if the normal range is ≤ 5 ng/mL) OR \< 2 times upper limit of normal (if normal range is \> 5 ng/mL)

  * For patients undergoing adjuvant therapy, CEA should be measured after completion of chemotherapy
* Has completed primary curative treatment, as deemed by hospital clinician

  * Patients awaiting stoma closure allowed
* No evidence of metastatic disease on pre- or post-operative liver CT scan (or ultrasound) and chest CT scan (or chest x-ray)
* No diagnosis of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) or dominantly inherited colon cancer

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* No concurrent serious illness
* History of other carcinoma allowed provided primary treatment has been completed, there is no evidence of recurrent disease, and there is no follow-up that conflicts with study follow-up

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* Pre-operative radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer allowed provided curative resection has been achieved
* No concurrent participation in a primary treatment clinical trial with conflicting follow-up requirements