Breast cancer is defined as a chronic disease.Increasing amounts of attention have been paid to the healthmanagement of breast cancer survivors. An important issue ishow to find the most appropriate method of follow-u...Breast cancer is defined as a chronic disease.Increasing amounts of attention have been paid to the healthmanagement of breast cancer survivors. An important issue ishow to find the most appropriate method of follow-up in orderto detect long-term complications of treatment, local recurrenceand distant metastasis and to administer appropriate treatmentto the survivors with recurrence in a timely fashion. Differentoncology organizations have published guidelines for followingup breast cancer survivors. However, there are few articles onthis issue in China. Using the published follow-up guidelines,we analyzed their main limitations and discussed the content,follow-up interval and economic benefits of following up breastcancer survivors in an effort to provide suggestions to physicians.Based on a large number of clinical trials, we discussed the roleof physical examination, mammography, liver echograph, chestradiography, bone scan and so on. We evaluated the effects ofthe above factors on detection of distant disease, survival time,improvement in quality of life and time to diagnosis of recurrence.The results of follow-up carried out by oncologists and primaryhealth care physicians were compared. We also analyzed thecorrelation factors for the cost of such follow-up. It appears thatfollow-up for breast cancer survivors can be carried out effectivelyby trained primary health care physicians. If anything unusualarises, the patients should be transferred to specialists.展开更多
文摘Breast cancer is defined as a chronic disease.Increasing amounts of attention have been paid to the healthmanagement of breast cancer survivors. An important issue ishow to find the most appropriate method of follow-up in orderto detect long-term complications of treatment, local recurrenceand distant metastasis and to administer appropriate treatmentto the survivors with recurrence in a timely fashion. Differentoncology organizations have published guidelines for followingup breast cancer survivors. However, there are few articles onthis issue in China. Using the published follow-up guidelines,we analyzed their main limitations and discussed the content,follow-up interval and economic benefits of following up breastcancer survivors in an effort to provide suggestions to physicians.Based on a large number of clinical trials, we discussed the roleof physical examination, mammography, liver echograph, chestradiography, bone scan and so on. We evaluated the effects ofthe above factors on detection of distant disease, survival time,improvement in quality of life and time to diagnosis of recurrence.The results of follow-up carried out by oncologists and primaryhealth care physicians were compared. We also analyzed thecorrelation factors for the cost of such follow-up. It appears thatfollow-up for breast cancer survivors can be carried out effectivelyby trained primary health care physicians. If anything unusualarises, the patients should be transferred to specialists.
