Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40014172›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Evolving strategies for the routine follow-up of patients with early breast cancer and the impact of COVID-19: a survey of healthcare providers.

Ana-Alicia Beltran-Bless, Gail Larocque, Angel Arnaout, Jean-Michel Caudrelier, John Hilton, Nasser Alqahtani, Lisa Vandermeer, Gregory Pond, Mark Clemons

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05365230 (A Randomized Trial Evaluating Personalized vs Guideline-based Well Follow-up Strategies for Patients With Early-stage Breast Cancer), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT05365230 phase4completednot on this map

A Randomized Trial Evaluating Personalized vs Guideline-based Well Follow-up Strategies for Patients With Early-stage Breast Cancer (REaCT-Wellness)

TypeinterventionalSponsorOttawa Hospital Research InstituteRan2022 to 2025Enrolled261ConditionsBreast CancerArmsOn-demand personalized follow-up care, Guideline-based follow-up care (standard of care)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Ana-Alicia Beltran-BlessDivision of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Gail LarocqueThe Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada.
Angel ArnaoutDepartment of Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Jean-Michel CaudrelierDepartment of Radiation Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
John HiltonDivision of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Nasser AlqahtaniDivision of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Lisa VandermeerCancer Therapeutics Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Gregory PondDepartment of Oncology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Mark ClemonsDivision of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, The University of Ottawa, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, Canada. mclemons@toh.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a shift from routine in-person follow-up for early breast cancer (EBC) to the increased use of virtual assessments. This survey explored healthcare providers' (HCPs) perceptions around current practices and goals of follow-up.

methodsCanadian HCPs who treat EBC were contacted via an anonymous survey. Participants provided perspectives on follow-up, current practices, and interest in clinical trials assessing follow-up strategies.

resultsResponses were received from 73 HCPs including medical (n = 41/73, 56%), radiation (n = 13/73, 18%), and surgical oncologists (n = 13/73, 18%). Thirty-four percent (n = 25/73) of HCPs did not perform routine follow-up. Of the 48 (n = 48/73, 66%) who conducted in-person follow-up, it was typically 6-monthly for years 1-3, yearly until year 5, and then on-demand. Common reasons for follow-up visits were assessment of symptoms from endocrine therapy and for the detection of recurrent disease. HCPs felt routine follow-up with physical examination resulted in earlier detection of local (n = 16/48, 33%) and distant metastasis (n = 6/48, 12.5%). Forty-eight percent of HCPs felt that the transition to virtual visits would not impact either local or distant recurrence rates or overall survival. Sixty-nine percent (n = 33/48) will continue to follow patients with a combination of in-person and virtual appointments. Most respondents agreed that follow-up should be more individualized and risk adapted (n = 42/48, 87.5%). Most (62%, n = 29/47) expressed interest in performing trials assessing well follow-up strategies.

conclusionVirtual care will remain an integral part of routine follow-up. The effects of this on a range of patient outcomes should be explored in future trials.

Indexed as

AftercareBreast NeoplasmsCOVID-19Health PersonnelCanadaFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesTelemedicineBreast cancerFollow-upSurvivorship

Identifiers

PMID40014172

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

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.