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Is screening of metastases based on symptoms effective in breast cancer patients?
W Jäger1, H Binder, U Schindler
1Department of Obstetrics Gynecology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
Anticancer Research
|September 1, 1996
Abstract:
This study was initiated to evaluate if the follow-up of breast cancer patients based only on symptoms is effective. 757 patients participated in the study. They filled out a questionnaire which asked for specific and non-specific symptoms of metastases which was developed by a team of expert oncologists. Surprisingly 76% of all patients complained of symptoms. 129 patients were therefore screened, but only 5% had metastases. 31 patients developed metastases during the study, most of whom did not have specific symptoms. Therefore follow-up with the aim of detecting metastases cannot be based on symptoms alone.