ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2018
A National Study of the Use of Asymptomatic Systemic Imaging for Surveillance Following Breast Cancer Treatment (AFT-01).
Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02171078 (Post-Treatment Surveillance in Breast Cancer), which is not on this map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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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.
Post-Treatment Surveillance in Breast Cancer: Bringing Cost Effectiveness Research (CER) to the Alliance
Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Association between asymptomatic detection of distant metastases and survival in breast cancer: a retrospective cohort study.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Article
- Surveillance Imaging vs Symptomatic Recurrence Detection and Survival in Stage II-III Breast Cancer (AFT-01).Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2022Observational
- Characterizing and quantifying low-value diagnostic imaging internationally: a scoping review.BMC medical imaging · 2022Article
- A scoping review characterizing "Choosing Wisely®" recommendations for breast cancer management.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2021Article
- Patterns of Surveillance Advanced Imaging and Serum Tumor Biomarker Testing Following Launch of the Choosing Wisely Initiative.Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN · 2019Article
- Imaging Surveillance After Definitive Treatment for Breast Cancer.Annals of surgical oncology · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
18 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAlthough not guideline recommended, studies suggest 50% of locoregional breast cancer patients undergo systemic imaging during follow-up, prompting its inclusion as a Choosing Wisely measure of potential overuse. Most studies rely on administrative data that cannot delineate scan intent (prompted by signs/symptoms vs. asymptomatic surveillance). This is a critical gap as intent is the only way to distinguish overuse from appropriate care.
objectiveOur aim was to assess surveillance systemic imaging post-breast cancer treatment in a national sample accounting for scan intent.
methodsA stage-stratified random sample of 10 women with stage II-III breast cancer in 2006-2007 was selected from each of 1217 Commission on Cancer-accredited facilities, for a total of 10,838 patients. Registrars abstracted scan type (computed tomography [CT], non-breast magnetic resonance imaging, bone scan, positron emission tomography/CT) and intent (cancer-related vs. not, asymptomatic surveillance vs. not) from medical records for 5 years post-diagnosis. Data were merged with each patient's corresponding National Cancer Database record, containing sociodemographic and tumor/treatment information.
resultsOf 10,838 women, 30% had one or more, and 12% had two or more, systemic surveillance scans during a 4-year follow-up period. Patients were more likely to receive surveillance imaging in the first follow-up year (lower proportions during subsequent years) and if they had estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor-negative tumors.
conclusionsLocoregional breast cancer patients undergo asymptomatic systemic imaging during follow-up despite guidelines recommending against it, but at lower rates than previously reported. Providers appear to use factors that confer increased recurrence risk to tailor decisions about systemic surveillance imaging, perhaps reflecting limitations of data on which current guidelines are based. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02171078.
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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.