Intensive Follow-Up Program and Oncological Outcomes of Biliary Tract Cancer Patients after Curative-Intent Surgery: A Twenty-Year Experience in a Single Tertiary Medical Center

Aim. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of an intensive follow-up program on BTC patients who had received surgery with curative intent at a tertiary referral hospital. Methods. BTC patients were followed-up every three months during the first two years after their first surgery and e...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Alessandro Rizzo, Riccardo Carloni, Giorgio Frega, Andrea Palloni, Alessandro Di Federico, Angela Dalia Ricci, Raffaele De Luca, Simona Tavolari, Giovanni Brandi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-07-01
Series:Current Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/29/7/402
Description
Summary:Aim. The aim of this research was to assess the impact of an intensive follow-up program on BTC patients who had received surgery with curative intent at a tertiary referral hospital. Methods. BTC patients were followed-up every three months during the first two years after their first surgery and every six months from the third to the fifth post-operative year. Results. A total of 278 BTC patients who received R0/R1 surgery were included. A total of 17.7% of patients underwent a second surgery following disease relapse, and none of these patients experienced additional disease relapse. Conclusions. An intensive follow-up after surgical resection may help in the early identification of disease relapse, leading to early treatment and prolonged survival in selected cases.
ISSN:1198-0052
1718-7729