Nice: Guidelines are being reviewed
Friday, 18 Jan 2008 11:40
Guidelines on follow-up treatment for patients who have had breast cancer are being reviewed this year, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said.
The institute's comments follow criticism of its advice on how many years follow-up care should be carried out for.
Nice says follow-up treatment to detect and treat recurrences and provide psychological support should last for two to three years.
But Dr Michael Dixon, clinical director at Edinburgh's Breakthrough research unit and Dr David Montgomery, clinical research fellow at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, say clinical examination should be annual for two years and surveillance by mammography thereafter.
"Patients' needs vary, so follow-up programmes for patients with breast cancer need to be evidence based, flexible, and tailored to their lifelong needs," they said in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
In response a Nice spokesperson said: "Nice is already reviewing these recommendations as part of its clinical guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of early breast cancer.
"The guideline is expected to be published in February 2009."
