title: A plea for a uniform surveillance schedule after radical cystectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The types of surveillance recommended after radical cystectomy and the degree of patient compliance are not well characterized. We identified the pattern of post-cystectomy surveillance recommended in the oncologic community and assessed compliance to a predetermined schedule among a small group of urologists.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was sent inquiring about the number of patients followed after cystectomy, physician specialty, type of practice, whether the followup schedule was stage dependent, the frequency of office visits and the type of tests. To assess noncompliance to a strict followup schedule we analyzed the records of 647 patients who underwent radical cystectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate to the survey was 37% (123 of 330). Of the respondents 96% were urologists, with 72% from United States academic centers, 13% from non-United States academic centers and 14% in private practice. In addition, 21% reported following yearly more than 100 patients after cystectomy, 29% between 51 and 100 patients, and 43% between 1 and 50. Of the respondents 60% tailored the followup schedule based on pathological stage. Computerized tomography of the abdomen and pelvis, chest x-ray and urine cytology were the most frequent tests used. Computerized tomography of the chest, magnetic resonance imaging and abdominal ultrasound were used occasionally.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was significant deviation from a predetermined followup schedule. There was no uniformity among urological oncologists in post-cystectomy surveillance and there was lack of compliance to a predetermined followup schedule.
authors.affiliation: Urology Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 10021, USA. dalbagng@mskcc.org
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dalbagni
authors.forename: Bernard H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Bochner
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cronin
authors.forename: Harry W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Herr
authors.forename: S Machele
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Donat
mesh_terms: D015653:Cystectomy / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*