Follow-up after surgical treatment for cancer of the gastrointestinal tract

Digestive and Liver Disease : Official Journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver
E M L VerschuurP D Siersema

Abstract

Presently, no evidence-based guidelines for the follow-up of patients after surgery for gastrointestinal cancer are available. As a consequence, follow-up strategies may differ between hospitals depending on preference of physicians. We investigated which follow-up procedures are currently employed after surgery for gastrointestinal cancer in the Netherlands. A questionnaire was sent to all surgical departments in the Netherlands. The questionnaire focused on frequency of follow-up visits and diagnostic procedures after surgical treatment for oesophageal, gastric, pancreatic and colorectal cancer and psychosocial issues during follow-up. The response rate was 90% (83/92). In the majority of hospitals, surgeons treated patients with colorectal (100%) and gastric (96%) cancer in their own centre, whereas patients with pancreatic (64%) and oesophageal (61%) cancer were more often referred to a tertiary centre. For all patients treated for gastrointestinal cancer, three to four follow-up visits were made in the first year, followed by at least two annual visits thereafter. After colorectal surgery, blood tests (78%), colonoscopy (75%) and abdominal ultrasound (57%) were frequently performed. In other gastrointestinal malignancies, ...Continue Reading

Citations

Nov 8, 2011·Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·Ryan P CavanaughRowan J Milner

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