SynthesisBritish journal of cancer2007
Alternative methods of follow up in breast cancer: a systematic review of the literature.
Synthesis in British journal of cancer, 2007. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 82 citations in OpenAlex.
- The COVID-19 pandemic: An opportunity to rethink and harmonise the frequency of follow-up visits for patients with early stage breast cancer.Cancer treatment reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Survivorship care for cancer patients in primary versus secondary care: a systematic review.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2021Pooled it
- The role of the GP in follow-up cancer care: a systematic literature review.Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice · 2016Pooled it
- Breast cancer follow-up strategies in randomized phase III adjuvant clinical trials: a systematic review.Journal of experimental & clinical cancer research : CR · 2013Pooled it
- Follow-up of cancer in primary care versus secondary care: systematic review.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2009Pooled it
- Follow-up in breast cancer: does routine clinical examination improve outcome? A systematic review of the literature.British journal of cancer · 2007Pooled it
- Nurse-led follow-up care for head and neck cancer patients: a quasi-experimental prospective trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2013Trial
- Healthcare cost for non-hospital services and pharmaceuticals among breast cancer survivors: an event study.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026Article
- Reassessing the Role of Regular Physical Examination in Post-treatment Breast Cancer Surveillance.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026Article
- Article
- Assessing Mode of Recurrence in Breast Cancer to Identify an Optimised Follow-Up Pathway: 10-Year Institutional Review.Annals of surgical oncology · 2023Review
- Unmet supportive care needs of breast, colorectal and testicular cancer survivors in the first 8 months post primary treatment: A prospective longitudinal survey.European journal of cancer care · 2021Article
- The development and initial validation of the Breast Cancer Recurrence instrument (BreastCaRe)-a patient-reported outcome measure for detecting symptoms of recurrence after breast cancer.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2021Article
- Opportunities for personalised follow-up care among patients with breast cancer: A scoping review to identify preference-sensitive decisions.European journal of cancer care · 2019Article
- Barriers to implementation of stratified care in primary biliary cholangitis: a scoping exercise.BMJ open gastroenterology · 2019Review
- Follow-up after curative treatment for colorectal cancer: longitudinal evaluation of patient initiated follow-up in the first 12 months.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2017Article
- How do I follow patients with early breast cancer after completing adjuvant therapy.Current treatment options in oncology · 2014Review
- Current approaches and challenges in early detection of breast cancer recurrence.Journal of Cancer · 2014Review
- The role of primary care in early detection and follow-up of cancer.Nature reviews. Clinical oncology · 2014Review
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Regular clinical follow up after breast cancer is a common practice. Evidence from retrospective reviews casts doubt on the efficacy of this practice and the various guidelines for follow up show little concordance. Our aim was to investigate what alternative follow-up methods (including reduced frequency of visits) have been subjected to controlled trial and to establish what evidence exists from controlled trials to advise the guidelines. The study involved systematic review of the literature using MEDLINE, Embase, CancerLit, Web of Sciences and EBM reviews as data sources. Methods included reviewing all randomised controlled trials comparing different follow-up frequencies or comparing an alternative method with clinical follow up after breast cancer. All outcome measures addressed in the trials were analysed. Two trials compared frequency of traditional follow up. Five trials assessed alternative methods. All were of inadequate power or duration to establish ideal frequency of clinic visits or safety of alternative follow-up methods. Alternative follow up had no detrimental effect on satisfaction or outcome. Few trials have been conducted, all of which are underpowered to establish safety of reducing or replacing clinic visits. Alternative methods of follow up are acceptable to patients and may be associated with other benefits. Larger trials are required.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.