A systematic review of models of care for the follow-up of childhood cancer survivors

Abstract

Follow-up care for survivors of childhood cancer is increasingly seen as a priority service as numbers of survivors increase. Despite this there are few published evaluations of the available options. We conducted a systematic review of published and unpublished literature. Seven uncontrolled studies, and one comparative study of a related intervention, were identified. Observational data suggest that follow-up care was useful even for patients who did not perceive this as a need. Suitably powered, well-conducted, controlled trials of adequate duration that directly compare follow-up models are required to provide robust evidence on the optimal care for these patients. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.