Esophago-gastric malignancies are associated with a high recurrence rate; yet there is a lack of evidence to inform guidelines for the standardization and structure of postoperative surveillance after curatively intended treatment. This study aimed to capture the variation in postoperative surveillance strategies across the UK and Ireland, and enquire the opinions and beliefs around surveillance from practicing clinicians. A web-based survey consisting of 40 questions was sent to surgeons or allied health professionals performing or involved in surgical care for esophago-gastric cancers at high-volume centers in the UK. Respondents from each center completed the survey on what best represented their center. The first section of the survey evaluated the timing and components of follow-ups, and their variation between centers. The second section evaluated respondents perspective on how surveillance can be structured. Thirty-five respondents from 27 centers consisting 28 consultants, 6 senior trainees and 1 specialist nurse had completed the questionnaire; 45.7% of responders arranged clinical follow-up at 2–4 weeks. Twenty responders had a specific postoperative surveillance protocol for their patients. Of these, 31.4% had a standardized protocol for all patients, while 25.7% tailored it to patient needs. Patient preference, comorbidities and chance of recurrence were considered as major factors for necessitating more intense surveillance than currently practiced. There is a significant variation in how patients are monitored after surgery between centers in the UK. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to link surveillance strategies to both survival outcomes and quality of life of patients and to evaluate the prognostic value of different postoperative surveillance strategies.

中文翻译：

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英国和爱尔兰食管-胃癌术后监测策略的评估

食管胃恶性肿瘤与高复发率相关；然而，缺乏证据来指导治疗性治疗后术后监测的标准化和结构指南。本研究旨在捕捉英国和爱尔兰术后监测策略的差异，并询问执业临床医生对监测的意见和信念。一项包含 40 个问题的基于网络的调查被发送给在英国高容量中心执行或参与食管-胃癌外科护理的外科医生或专职医疗保健专业人员。来自每个中心的受访者完成了关于最能代表他们中心的调查。调查的第一部分评估了随访的时间和组成部分，以及它们在中心之间的差异。第二部分评估了受访者对如何构建监控的看法。来自 27 个中心的 35 名受访者完成了问卷，其中包括 28 名顾问、6 名高级实习生和 1 名专科护士；45.7% 的应答者安排了 2-4 周的临床随访。20 名响应者为其患者制定了特定的术后监测方案。其中，31.4% 为所有患者制定了标准化方案，而 25.7% 则根据患者需求进行了定制。患者偏好、合并症和复发机会被认为是需要比目前实施更严格的监测的主要因素。英国各中心之间在手术后监测患者的方式存在显着差异。