title: Patient surveillance after initial breast cancer therapy: variation by physician specialty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines recommend only office visits and mammograms as the primary modalities for patient surveillance after treatment for breast carcinoma. This study aimed to quantify differences in posttreatment surveillance among medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and surgeons.
  
  
  METHODS
  We e-mailed a survey to the 3,245 ASCO members who identified themselves as having breast cancer as a major focus of their practices. Questions assessed the frequency of use of 12 specific surveillance modalities for 5 posttreatment years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,012 total responses, 846 were evaluable: 5% from radiation oncologists, 70% from medical oncologists, and 10% from surgeons; 15% were unspecified. Marked variation in surveillance practices were noted within each specialty and among specialties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are notable variations in surveillance intensity. This suggests overuse or underuse or misuse of scarce medical resources.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Saint Louis University, 3635 Vista Avenue at Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: Rina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parmeshwar
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Margenthaler
authors.forename: Emad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Allam
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Katherine S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Virgo
authors.forename: Frank E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D013502:General Surgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Breast cancer; Follow-up; Medical oncologist; Radiation oncologist; Surgeon; Surveillance