Significance of pulmonary nodules in patients with colorectal cancer.

Objectives: Radiographically small pulmonary nodules (PNs) in patients with colorectal cancer are troublesome because their discovery raises concern about metastases. This study sought to establish the appropriate timing of radiological follow-up for PNs detected at initial staging evaluation of colorectal carcinoma patients.

Methods: The medical records of 376 consecutive colorectal cancer patients who underwent curative surgery and had baseline and follow-up chest X-rays (CXR) and computed tomography (CT) were reviewed.