Telephone follow-up effective for stage I endometrial cancer

(HealthDay)—For women treated for stage I endometrial cancer, telephone follow-up (TFU) is noninferior to hospital-based follow-up (HFU), according to a study published online April 7 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Kinta Beaver, Ph.D., from the University of Central Lancashire in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a randomized, noninferiority trial involving 259 women treated for stage I endometrial cancer. Participants were randomized to receive traditional HFU or nurse-led TFU.

The researchers found that the groups had similar State Trait Anxiety Inventory scores after randomization, with an estimated between-group difference of 0.7 (95 percent confidence interval, −1.9 to 3.3, with the confidence interval above the noninferiority limit of −3.5, indicating non-inferiority). Reported satisfaction with information did not differ significantly between the groups (odds ratio, 0.9; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.4 to 2.1). The HFU group was more likely to report being kept waiting for their appointment and not needing any information; they were also less likely to report that the nurse knew about their specific case.

"The TFU provides an effective alternative to HFU for patients with stage I endometrial cancer, with no reported physical or psychological detriment," the authors write. "Patient satisfaction with information was high, with similar levels between groups."