HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hiramanek, N Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hiramanek, N

Breast cancer recurrence: follow up after treatment for primary breast cancer

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr N Hiramanek
University of Sydney, 37a Booth Street, Balmain, Sydney, NSW 2041, Australia; navazh{at}med.usyd.edu.au

Background: Breast cancer will affect one in 12 Australian women in their lifetime. After potentially curative treatment, it is usual for patients to be followed up for many years. However, controversies surround follow up, and its value is uncertain.

Aim: This study reviews the evidence and describes the role of routine follow up in the management of breast cancer in a tertiary hospital. By establishing how recurrence of breast cancer presents and identifying the proportion of patients with recurrence who were diagnosed as a consequence of regular follow up, the value of this system in detecting recurrence can be indirectly assessed.

Design: A retrospective review was undertaken of all patients attending the radiotherapy outpatient clinic for treatment of invasive breast cancer in 1997. Hospital records were reviewed to ascertain patient and tumour characteristics, treatment received, site of recurrence and its mode of detection, whether patients were symptomatic at the time of recurrence, and whether they presented at a scheduled appointment.

Results: Out of 286 patients who presented to the radiotherapy outpatient clinic, 220 were entered into the study. Recurrence was recorded in 42 patients (a complete dataset was available for 38 of these patients). In total, 74% (31/42) of recurrences were symptomatic, and 76% (32/42) presented at unscheduled appointments, the majority (17/32) of which were initiated by the patient. Only seven patients had asymptomatic recurrences.

Conclusion: Based on current evidence, long term routine hospital follow up after treatment for breast cancer appears to be inefficient in detecting recurrence.

Keywords: breast cancer; follow up; relapse