Long-term follow-up (LTFU) outpatient clinics play a primary role in screening, preventing, and addressing late effects after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Following the 2018 nationwide survey, which led to the development of standardized nationwide tools to deliver information to HCT survivors, we re-evaluated changes in the current status of LTFU clinics. We targeted 267 HCT centers certified by the Japanese society for transplantation and cellular therapy. Several questionnaire categories were retained from the 2018 survey to compare results (e.g., LTFU clinic establishment and institutional practices for late-effect screening). The response rate was high in both adult (90%) and pediatric HCT centers (88%), and the establishment rate of post-HCT LTFU clinics increased to 82% (adult, 90%; pediatric, 64%). Pediatric centers were more likely to continue follow-up of patients who received HCT beyond 5 years post-HCT. Regarding transitional medical care for long-term survivors at non-HCT institutions, only a few HCT centers conducted routine transitions to specific referral facilities. We observed significant changes in recommendations for secondary cancer screenings compared to 2018, with a substantial decrease in the proportions of “not routinely included as a screening issue.” In the future, it is essential to create a sustainable follow-up system, establish networks with non-HCT facilities, and educate patients to encourage behavioral changes for lifelong health screenings.
Kurosawa et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: