title: [Follow-up of patients treated for localized invasive breast carcinoma].
abstract: The follow-up of patients treated for invasive breast carcinoma remains a major challenge because of breast cancer prevalence and the frequent patient's preferences for a regular follow-up. Concerning this last point, there is a lack of studies about the consequences of a systematic follow-up. Few decades ago, regular and systematic follow-up was considered as a dogma. In 1994, it was seriously questioned by two randomised Italian trials: they did not find any benefit in terms of survival and quality of life in patients who had a regular search of asymptomatic metastasis. Follow-up strategy after early breast cancer is still an unexplored field, despite higher performance of investigation tests and development of new treatments strategies that allowed a significant decrease of recurrences and increase of cancer care. Currently, the international guidelines deeply recommend a regular physical examination and mammography. But a systematic search for non-symptomatic metastases is unnecessary. We now need a coordination between practitioners to avoid useless tests, and to respond to patients' will.
authors.affiliation: Département de sénologie, centre Oscar-Lambret, 3, rue Frédéric-Combemale, B.P. 307, 59020 Lille cedex, France. Electronic address: p-vennin@o-lambret.fr.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vennin
authors.affiliation: Département de sénologie, centre Oscar-Lambret, 3, rue Frédéric-Combemale, B.P. 307, 59020 Lille cedex, France; Département universitaire de radiothérapie-oncologie, centre Oscar-Lambret, 3, rue Frédéric-Combemale, B.P. 307, 59020 Lille cedex, France; Faculté de médecine, université de Lille-II, 59020 Lille cedex, France.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Belkacémi
authors.affiliation: Département de sénologie, centre Oscar-Lambret, 3, rue Frédéric-Combemale, B.P. 307, 59020 Lille cedex, France.
authors.forename: M-P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Chauvet
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008408:Mastectomy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009819:Office Visits; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011788:Quality of Life