title: Establishment of regional alliance clinical pathways for gastrointestinal cancer in Tokushima.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The maintenance of regional alliance clinical pathways for five cancers (lung, stomach, liver, large intestine, and breast) has been requested along with a readjustment of specific requirements for a plan to promote cancer control measures based on the Cancer Control Act. The aim of this study was to clarify the usefulness of regional alliance clinical pathways for cancer of the gastrointestinal tract in Tokushima Prefecture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects comprised patients with digestive organ cancer who had undergone surgery at Tokushima University Hopsital between April 2009 and March 2010. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants, and it adjusted to the clinical pathways for cases that did not need postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study was initiated in April 2009, and clinical pathways were used to 38 patients (gastric cancer, n = 17; colorectal cancer, n = 14; hepatocellular carcinoma, n = 7). Surgery was able to be performed. An especially severe problem like post operative complication was not appeared.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Making feasible pathways for standardization of procedures throughout the prefecture is important for cancer treatment of the gastrointestinal tract in Tokushima Prefecture.
authors: Liaison Center for Medical Affairs, Tokushima University Hospital, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan. morimoto@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp
authors: Shinya
authors: S
authors: Morimoto
authors: Mitsuo
authors: M
authors: Shimada
mesh_terms: D019091:Critical Pathways; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D012040:Regional Health Planning