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M. Badruddoja, MD, FRCS, FRACS

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The article by Steinert et al¹ in the February issue of the Archives about the effect of subclinical metastasis in distant sites on disease-free survival (DFS) in patients who had curative resections for colorectal cancer (CRC) is high-powered and credible. Their conclusion is that subclinical metastasis does not affect the overall survival (OS) or DFS in these patients. This 9-year study was very well designed.

The authors have studied this important subject in all stages of CRC. It is well known that stage II (with low and stable microsatellite instability), III, and IV diseases are advanced. In this group of patients, it is very likely that clinical and subclinical metastases will have little effect on DFS and OS, and as such this study has very little significance to clinicians. For stage I disease, however, this study is very significant.

In a similar study, Liefers et . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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