Six-Year Experience of a Nurse-Led Colorectal Cancer Follow-Up Clinic

Abstract EN

Aims and Objectives.

To review the experience of a nurse-led colorectal cancer follow-up clinic in a tertiary referral colorectal cancer centre.

Methodology.

Data from the nurse-led colorectal cancer follow-up clinic in our unit was prospectively maintained in a colorectal cancer database.

Data was analysed from January 1, 2006 until the December 31, 2011.

Results.

1125 patients were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and referred to our unit as a tertiary centre for specialised colorectal cancer.

Nine hundred and four patients had surgical resection of their colorectal cancer.

Four hundred and seven patients were referred to the nurse-led colorectal cancer clinic for surveillance.

The mean age of the patient cohort was 67 years (range 32–88) and 56% of patients were male.

One hundred and seventeen patients were discharged to their general practitioner having been disease free after 5 years of followup.

Fifty-four patients were diagnosed with either local or distant recurrence.

Conclusion.

A nurse-led colorectal cancer follow-up clinic is running according to strict follow-up protocols.

This type of clinic significantly reduces the number of routine follow-up patients that have to be seen by the colorectal surgical consultant.