[Effectiveness of regular after-care in R0-resected XXXX ].

@entity1 @entity5 @entity189 @entity260 @entity3 @entity694
Regular follow-up programs after radical resections of @entity189 have been introduced in numerous hospitals. The main goal of a regular follow-up program is the early diagnosis of @entity5 recurrence in the asymptomatic stage to allow further radical resection. We evaluated the efficiency (quote of further resections of asymptomatic @entity5 recurrences) of regular follow-up after resection of 288 @entity189 . 88 @entity1 developed recurrent disease (47 primary locoregional recurrence, 27 distant @entity3 , 14 locoregional and distant recurrence). Only 31 @entity1 were asymptomatic at the time of recurrence ( @entity3 55.6%, locoregional recurrence 31.9%, local and distant recurrence 7.1%; p < 0.05). In 31 @entity1 (13 asymptomatic, 18 symptomatic) further R0-resection was possible. Locoregional recurrences were resected more often following anterior resection than after abdominal perineal resection. With 13 radical resections of asymptomatic recurrence the efficiency of regular follow-up was only 4.5%. Therefore efficiency alone does not justify regular follow-up examinations. Follow-up still makes sense for psychosocial support, diagnosis of metachronous @entity694 , treatment of @entity260 and critical evaluation of the results of surgery. Furthermore the follow up data can be used to plan adjuvant therapy studies.
