Follow-up in Early Breast Cancer - A Surgical and Radiological Perceptive

摘要

Survivorship after breast cancer and the medical, psychological and informational health needs of these patients have become increasingly recognised [1-4]. From the service provision perspective, improved disease-free survival reduces the burden on health services for the treatment of advanced cancer, but can increase the demands on follow-up clinics and for surveillance mammography. There is also an increased demand for timely assessment of patients who develop symptoms suggestive of local recurrence or new cancers, both of which are curable if diagnosed and treated early [5,6]. With around 50 285 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed annually in the UK [7], it is important to balance surveillance, patient needs and clinical reassurance with limited National Health Service resources.