title: Follow-up of patients with early breast cancer: is it time to rewrite the story?
abstract: The guidelines for follow-up in breast cancer survivors support only performance of periodic physical examination and annual mammography. However, medical oncologists and primary care physicians routinely recommend both blood tests and non-mammographic imaging tests in asymptomatic patients, leading to an increased anxiety related to false-positive results and higher medical expenses. Recently, advanced imaging technologies have improved sensitivity/specificity to detect metastatic lesions before symptoms arise. Considering the progress made in the treatment of metastatic disease and the rapid evolution of targeted therapy, that requires customization of the strategy according to molecular characteristics of the disease, patients could derive real benefit to early detection of disease recurrence. This hypothesis must be tested in a prospective clinical trial.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Udine, Italy; Department of Medical and Biological Sciences, University of Udine, Italy. Electronic address: fabio.puglisi@uniud.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Puglisi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fontanella
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Azienda USL della Valle d'Aosta, Aosta, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianmauro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Numico
authors.affiliation: Surgical and Medical Department of Clinical Sciences, Biomedical Technologies and Translational Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sini
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Evangelista
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, S.Cuore-Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar (VR), Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gori
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Del Mastro
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Early breast cancer; Follow-up; Surveillance; Survivorship care