Health management of breast cancer survivors |
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Authors: | Min Li Juan Chen Zhendong Chen |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 20022, Anhui Province, China |
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Abstract: | Breast cancer is defined as a chronic disease. Increasing amounts of attention have been paid to the health management of
breast cancer survivors. An important issue is how to find the most appropriate method of follow-up in order to detect long-term
complications of treatment, local recurrence and distant metastasis and to administer appropriate treatment to the survivors
with recurrence in a timely fashion. Different oncology organizations have published guidelines for following up breast cancer
survivors. However, there are few articles on this 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 breast cancer survivors
in an effort to provide suggestions to physicians. Based on a large number of clinical trials, we discussed the role of physical
examination, mammography, liver echograph, chest radiography, bone scan and so on. We evaluated the effects of the 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 primary health care physicians were compared. We also analyzed the correlation
factors for the cost of such follow-up. It appears that follow-up for breast cancer survivors can be carried out effectively
by trained primary health care physicians. If anything unusual arises, the patients should be transferred to specialists. |
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Keywords: | breast cancer survivor health management |
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