Follow-up protocol for oncological patients at risk of developing multiple primary neoplasms.

PURPOSE: Multiple primary neoplasms (MPN) have a growing impact in the outcome of oncological patients given the rising incidence of these entities in daily practice. The early diagnosis of secondary tumors could translate into better survival of patients with MPN. The final objective of this study was the elaboration of a follow-up protocol for oncological patients at risk of developing multiple primary neoplasms.

METHODS

Patients with MPN diagnosed and treated in the Oncology Institute "Prof.Dr.Ion Chiricuta" Cluj-Napoca (OICN) between 2008-2012 were included in this nonrandomized, retrospective study and the clinicopathological characteristics of these patients and the prognostic factors possibly involved in the occurrence of MPN were analyzed.

RESULTS

278 patients with MPN were included in this study. The median age at diagnosis was 60 years. The median interval between the diagnosis of the primary and secondary neoplasm was 30.98 months. Smoking and alcohol consumption were the most frequent environmental factors observed in patients with MPN. Patients diagnosed with breast cancers, head and neck cancers, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer or uterine body cancer were the patients with the highest risk of developing MPN.

CONCLUSION

This first follow-up protocol for oncological patients at risk of developing multiple primary neoplasms could be implemented in daily practice with further validation of the protocol.