Six-year experience of a nurse-led colorectal cancer follow-up clinic.
Aims and Objectives. To review the experience of a nurse-led colorectal cancer follow-up clinic in a tertiary referral colorectal cancer centre. Methodology. Data from the nurse-led colorectal cancer follow-up clinic in our unit was prospectively maintained in a colorectal cancer database. Data was analysed from January 1, 2006 until the December 31, 2011. Results. 1125 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and referred to our unit as a tertiary centre for specialised colorectal cancer. Nine hundred and four patients had surgical resection of their colorectal cancer. Four hundred and seven patients were referred to the nurse-led colorectal cancer clinic for surveillance. The mean age of the patient cohort was 67 years (range 32-88) and 56% of patients were male. One hundred and seventeen patients were discharged to their general practitioner having been disease free after 5 years of followup. Fifty-four patients were diagnosed with either local or distant recurrence. Conclusion. A nurse-led colorectal cancer follow-up clinic is running according to strict follow-up protocols. This type of clinic significantly reduces the number of routine follow-up patients that have to be seen by the colorectal surgical consultant.
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Hasan
H
Al Chalabi
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
James M
JM
O'Riordan
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Alex
A
Richardson
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Delia
D
Flannery
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Katrina
K
O'Connor
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Charlotte
C
Stuart
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
John
J
Larkin
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Paul
P
McCormick
Department of Colorectal Surgery, GEMS Directorate, Saint James' Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Brian
B
Mehigan