Follow-up care for cancer: Making the benefits equal the cost

Posttreatment follow-up is a staple of oncologic practice. Clinicians have traditionally presumed that close surveillance improves clinical outcome. H owever, new evidence reveals that frequent, procedure-intensive follow-up m ay provide no more significant benefit to patients than simpler approaches. Several recent consensus recommendations front major oncology organization s support this theory. Published surveys of clinician and institutional fol low-up reveal significant variations in practice, with many providers conti nuing to use costly, unproven regimens. This review highlights current data on follow-up care for three common cancers-breast, colorectal, and prostat e. These data suggest an acute need for changes leading to more rational, c onsistent, and efficient follow-up practices.