The Reality in the Surveillance of Breast Cancer Survivors—Results of a Patient Survey
Background: International guidelines for the surveillance of breast cancer patients recommend a minimized clinical follow-up including routine history and physical examination and regularly scheduled mammograms. However, the abandonment of scheduled follow-up examinations in breast cancer survivors...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2008-01-01
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| Series: | Breast Cancer: Basic and Clinical Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://la-press.com/article.php?article_id=574 |
| _version_ | 1817984013682343936 |
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| author | Stemmler Hans-Joachim Lässig Dorit Stieber Petra Bauerfeind Ingo Kahlert Steffen Fasching Peter Alexander Beckmann Matthias Wilhelm Glattes Margrit Goldmann-Posch Ursula Hoffmann Verena Untch Michael Heinemann Volker |
| author_facet | Stemmler Hans-Joachim Lässig Dorit Stieber Petra Bauerfeind Ingo Kahlert Steffen Fasching Peter Alexander Beckmann Matthias Wilhelm Glattes Margrit Goldmann-Posch Ursula Hoffmann Verena Untch Michael Heinemann Volker |
| author_sort | Stemmler Hans-Joachim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: International guidelines for the surveillance of breast cancer patients recommend a minimized clinical follow-up including routine history and physical examination and regularly scheduled mammograms. However, the abandonment of scheduled follow-up examinations in breast cancer survivors remains a contradiction to established follow-up guidelines for other solid tumours.Patients and Methods: We report the patients’ view on the basis of a survey performed in two separate geographical areas in Germany. The questionnaires were sent out to 2.658 patients with a history of breast cancer.Results: A total of 801 patients (30.1%) responded to the questionnaire. The results of the survey can be summarized in two major categories: First, necessity for surveillance was affi rmed by a majority (>95%), and 47.8% of the organized patients answered that there was a need for more intensive diagnostic effort during follow-up. The main expectation from an intensified follow-up was the increased feeling of security as expressed by >80% of the women. Second, the present survey indicates that most of the regularly scheduled follow-up visits were expanded using extensive laboratory and imaging procedures exceeding the quantity of examinations recommended in the present follow-up guidelines.Conclusion: Despite the fact that only one third of the patients responded to the questionnaire, the survey indicates that a majority of physicians who treated these patients still do not accept the present follow-up guidelines. To some extent this may be explained by the observation that patients and possibly also their doctors trust that intensified follow-up increases diagnostic security and survival. Since considerable changes in the treatment options of breast cancer have been made during the last decades a new trial of investigations in follow-up is warranted. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:39:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6575da06dff7435fa418e970e398fd26 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1178-2234 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:39:48Z |
| publishDate | 2008-01-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Breast Cancer: Basic and Clinical Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-6575da06dff7435fa418e970e398fd262022-12-22T02:24:33ZengSAGE PublishingBreast Cancer: Basic and Clinical Research1178-22342008-01-0111723The Reality in the Surveillance of Breast Cancer Survivors—Results of a Patient SurveyStemmler Hans-JoachimLässig DoritStieber PetraBauerfeind IngoKahlert SteffenFasching Peter AlexanderBeckmann Matthias WilhelmGlattes MargritGoldmann-Posch UrsulaHoffmann VerenaUntch MichaelHeinemann VolkerBackground: International guidelines for the surveillance of breast cancer patients recommend a minimized clinical follow-up including routine history and physical examination and regularly scheduled mammograms. However, the abandonment of scheduled follow-up examinations in breast cancer survivors remains a contradiction to established follow-up guidelines for other solid tumours.Patients and Methods: We report the patients’ view on the basis of a survey performed in two separate geographical areas in Germany. The questionnaires were sent out to 2.658 patients with a history of breast cancer.Results: A total of 801 patients (30.1%) responded to the questionnaire. The results of the survey can be summarized in two major categories: First, necessity for surveillance was affi rmed by a majority (>95%), and 47.8% of the organized patients answered that there was a need for more intensive diagnostic effort during follow-up. The main expectation from an intensified follow-up was the increased feeling of security as expressed by >80% of the women. Second, the present survey indicates that most of the regularly scheduled follow-up visits were expanded using extensive laboratory and imaging procedures exceeding the quantity of examinations recommended in the present follow-up guidelines.Conclusion: Despite the fact that only one third of the patients responded to the questionnaire, the survey indicates that a majority of physicians who treated these patients still do not accept the present follow-up guidelines. To some extent this may be explained by the observation that patients and possibly also their doctors trust that intensified follow-up increases diagnostic security and survival. Since considerable changes in the treatment options of breast cancer have been made during the last decades a new trial of investigations in follow-up is warranted.http://la-press.com/article.php?article_id=574breast cancerfollow-upguidelinessurveillance |
| spellingShingle | Stemmler Hans-Joachim Lässig Dorit Stieber Petra Bauerfeind Ingo Kahlert Steffen Fasching Peter Alexander Beckmann Matthias Wilhelm Glattes Margrit Goldmann-Posch Ursula Hoffmann Verena Untch Michael Heinemann Volker The Reality in the Surveillance of Breast Cancer Survivors—Results of a Patient Survey Breast Cancer: Basic and Clinical Research breast cancer follow-up guidelines surveillance |
| title | The Reality in the Surveillance of Breast Cancer Survivors—Results of a Patient Survey |
| title_full | The Reality in the Surveillance of Breast Cancer Survivors—Results of a Patient Survey |
| title_fullStr | The Reality in the Surveillance of Breast Cancer Survivors—Results of a Patient Survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Reality in the Surveillance of Breast Cancer Survivors—Results of a Patient Survey |
| title_short | The Reality in the Surveillance of Breast Cancer Survivors—Results of a Patient Survey |
| title_sort | reality in the surveillance of breast cancer survivors results of a patient survey |
| topic | breast cancer follow-up guidelines surveillance |
| url | http://la-press.com/article.php?article_id=574 |
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