Individual Follow-up After Rectal Cancer - Focus on the Needs of the Patient

"1. Patient-education, with information about signs of recurrent disease (alarm-symptoms), potential late effects, and how these can be managed.~2. The patients are instructed to contact a specialist nurse in case of alarm-symptoms, concerns or other problems related to the cancer disease throughout the entire follow-up period. The specialist nurse responds to the referrals, according to a standardized algorithm.~In addition, all patients receive:~* CEA and CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis at 1 and 3 years after surgery~* perioperative clean colon colonoscopy, and then every 5 years until the age of 75 years~Only for patients with a stoma:~\- access to stoma care by specialist nurses"

"Patients with sphincter-preserving resection:~\- outpatient visits incl. rectoscopy at 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months~Patients with rectal amputation and a permanent stoma:~* outpatient visits at 3, 12 and 36 months~* access to stoma care by specialist nurses~All patients:~* CEA and CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis at 1 and 3 years after surgery~* perioperative clean colon colonoscopy, and then every 5 years until the age of 75 years"