Standards for follow-up care of patients with breast cancer

In the United States alone, over 200,000 women are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer each year, and another 50,000 are diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ. The vast majority of these women will survive for five or more years, and the majority will never experience a recurrence of their disease. Follow-up care is focused on the early identification of new primary cancer and locoregional recurrences. There is no clear evidence that early identification of distant metastases will lead to an extension in survival, and for this reason routine imaging studies such as CT and PET scans are not recommended. Comprehensive care for breast cancer survivors should also address late complications of treatment and ongoing psychosocial problems that may have arisen as a result of a breast diagnosis and treatment. Although subspecialists often provide follow-up care for breast cancer survivors, randomized trials have demonstrated that generalists can provide such care. As the number of breast cancer survivors continues to increase, guidelines and programs to provide comprehensive, compassionate, and cost-effective follow-up care will become ever more important.