[Secondary prevention after urological cancers. What are the pertinent facts about aftercare?]

Secondary prevention and aftercare of urological cancers are an essential part of outpatient care provided by the urologist in private practice. More than one-half of the patients who are confronted with the diagnosis of cancer turn to so-called unconventional treatment procedures. The difficulties for those affected and caregivers lie in equal measure in distinguishing between sensible and less advisable or even counterproductive treatment options. Fixed plans of action for aftercare do not do justice to the exigencies of individualized care of cancer patients in private practice, especially with respect to longer survival. Early detection of local recurrence and metastases and the management of complications are determined by the individual disease course and have to be measured against the improvement in quality of life. Secondary preventive measures in the sense of complementary medicine can be helpful. Current evidence is quite promising only for prostate cancer and is of some importance in urological practice.