Resumen

EXPOSITO HERNANDEZ, J.  y  DADET, A.. Para qué sirve y quién debe hacer el seguimiento después del tratamiento del paciente con cáncer. Oncología (Barc.) [online]. 2004, vol.27, n.9, pp.38-41. ISSN 0378-4835.

PURPOSE: To study the characteristics of a follow-up consultation in a radiotherapy unit of a full equipped hospital, and to analyze the usefulness of this activity for early diagnosis of relapse, patients inconveniences and work overload. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We measured every day during 52 consecutive weeks the number of patients appointed/assisted, their tumor location, the time after treatments, the number of different units involved in the follow-up, and the number of suspected clinical relapses. RESULTS: 715 consultations of 524 patients were collected, corresponding one, two and more than two consultations to 40%, 40% and 20% of the patients respectively. An average of 18 patients were appointed per day (median 19, mode 24), and 16 were attended; two patients did not attend the appointments, and one did it out of appointment. Most of the tumor locations corresponded to breast, head and neck, uterus and lung cancer. 74% of the patients were followed in two different units and 10% in more than two, with an average time after radiotherapy of 2.5 years (21% more than 5 years). 28 relapses (5.4% of the patients) were suspected and 6 were confirmed (21% of the suspected cases, 1.2% of the patients), correponding 4 to local and 2 to distant relapses. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical follow-up of treated cancer patients seeks several objectives, as the control of side effects, the detection of early disease relapses, and the maintenance of a closer relationship with the patients. Nevertheless, because of the characteristics of the management and the multidisciplinary approach of cancer treatment, it may become redundant and ineffective.

Palabras clave : Cancer; Follow-up.

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