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The purpose of a regional follow-up guideline is to ensure consistency of practice across the West of Scotland and the principles of any update to the follow-up guidelines must continue to ensure that management of patients after initial treatment for gynaecological malignancy are:

• Patient-centred;
• Aligned to recognised current best practice;
• Equitable across the region;
• Clinically safe and effective; and
• Efficiently delivered.

The guidelines have been reviewed on the basis that the key aims underpinning the purpose of follow-up are to:

• Manage and treat symptoms and complications;
• Provide psychological and supportive care; and
• Detect and treat recurrent disease.

Follow-up practice has to be patient centred and, ideally, supported by empirical evidence of improved outcomes and survival. In the absence of good quality evidence care should be tailored to the needs and preference of patients. The construction of appropriate follow-up guidance requires balancing perceived patient needs with effective utilisation of resources.

Effective shared care arrangements between central and local oncology teams are critical to follow-up care and all recommendations are made on the assumption that a named contact, ideally a specialist oncology nurse, is identified in each unit.

These regional guidelines are recommended by the Gynaecological Cancer MCN whose members also recognise that specific needs of individual patients may require to be met by an alternative approach and that this will be provided where necessary and documented in the patient notes.

Individual clinical trial protocols may also dictate a specific regimen of follow-up; intervals, tests and investigations. Imaging investigations should be tailored to individual patient symptoms or clinical examination findings, when recurrence is suspected.

Appendix 1 of the document provides a quick-reference summary of the guidelines.

This guideline is not intended to advise the management of patients with progressive or recurrent disease.