On-going supportive follow-up for patients with malignant glioma lacks good evidence to define and guide practice, and certain approaches have previously been criticised. In the UK it commonly involves routine hospital visits with imaging to monitor treatment effects and detect disease progression. Aims: Through use of an observational study evaluate and compare oncologist-led follow-up with a multidisciplinary group follow-up method from the perspective of patients and caregivers. Materials & Methods: Forty patients, and 32 of their caregivers, were recruited 3 months after completing radical radiotherapy treatment. Face-to-face interviews conducted at home with patients gathered information about access to and experiences of follow-up services. Standardised questionnaires measured patients’ quality of life and unmet care needs, and caregivers’ psychological wellbeing. Assessment was repeated three times over a 6-month period.Results: Inevitable attrition left 26/40 patients and 19/32 carers with complete data. Most (65%) patients’ quality of life improved or was maintained over the study period. However, psychological support for patients and carers was suboptimal, notably 56% of carers had probable psychiatric morbidity. Though few significant differences were found between the two follow-up methods, multidisciplinary follow-up provided better continuity of care and more efficient test result provision.Conclusions: Innovative interventions are required to ameliorate psychological distress in patients and caregivers.
Funding
Supportive interventions in cancer.; G0004; CANCER RESEARCH UK; C54/A7374