Improved cancer follow-up checks ‘vital’
The follow-up check procedures for women who have been treated for breast cancer must improve, according to two medical experts.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, they claim that these procedures have not been adapted as survival rates from the disease have improved.
Guidelines for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) state that the role of follow-ups is to detect recurrence and deal with any adverse affects and claim that three years is a sufficient time span for follow-up treatment.
However, Dr Michael Dixon, clinical director at Edinburgh’s Breakthrough research unit and Dr David Montgomery, clinical research fellow at Glasgow Royal Infirmary say that, due to the increased effectiveness of treatment for initial cancer, new cancers are now more common.
They commented: "If Nice is to achieve its aim of detecting and treating local recurrence it clearly cannot be achieved with a three year follow-up."
They go on to say that women should be given an annual examination for two years with surveillance by mammography to follow.
Elsewhere, scientists may have made a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer with a way to halt resistance to the cancer drug tamoxifen, the BBC reports.
The Insurance Helpline specialises in obtaining cover for people living with medical conditions.
Leave a Reply