title: Patients' beliefs about the aims of breast cancer follow-up: A qualitative study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore patients' beliefs about the aims of breast cancer follow-up, and to compare these with the current literature on best practice for survivor care.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the literature on breast cancer and interviewed 61 women with a history of early-stage breast cancer. By means of descriptive content analysis with qualitative and quantitative elements, the patients' verbatim responses were thematically and independently analysed by two researchers. Results were compared with current literature and breast cancer guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When patients were asked to comment on what they thought the aims of breast cancer follow-up were, they most frequently mentioned 'detection of recurrence' and 'receiving reassurance', followed by 'receiving psychological support', and 'collecting data to evaluate care'. Some patients explicitly mentioned 'surveillance for metastatic disease' as an aim of follow-up. However, some patients believed that breast cancer could not recur after 2-5 years of follow-up, and that recurrences could not develop directly after or between follow-up appointments. In relation to follow-up appointments, some patients experienced anxiety, while others felt it made them confront their breast cancer history.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients' beliefs are often not in line with guidelines. Educating patients about the aims of follow-up, and the evidence underlying it, might be important, in part to make patients' expectations more realistic.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.j.berendsen@umcg.nl.
authors.forename: Annette J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Berendsen
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, P.O. Box 196, 9700 AD Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carriene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roorda
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liesbeth
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geertruida H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: de Bock
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000359:Aftercare; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Attitudes; Breast neoplasms; Follow-up studies; Health knowledge; Practice; Survivors