The first check-ups take place around eight to twelve weeks after the end of treatment. It is important to our medical team to monitor the success of the treatment and your or your child’s health over many years. Only such a long period enables us to make systematic statements about the success of your treatment.
Follow-up examinations
After completion of radiotherapy, all patients undergo regular follow-up checks for up to 12 years to monitor the condition of the tumour, the success of the treatment and any side effects. The intervals between follow-up checks vary. They depend on the type of cancer. The follow-up checks can be carried out at PSI. If you live further away, the follow-up checks are usually carried out by your oncologist.
We would be very grateful if you could send us such follow-up reports including imaging. Please also ask your examining doctors to forward your results or those of your child to the PSI Center for Proton Therapy. Ask them to put us on their distribution list.
The CPT study office
In a dedicated study office at the CPT, three members of staff process the reports, images, questionnaires, photos and personal enquiries received from you or your treating doctor on a daily basis. With your consent, we analyse your coded data, e.g. on treatment, side effects and quality of life, in scientific studies. The findings from tumour control and on side effects after proton therapy are very important for us in order to continuously review our range of therapies and improve them for the benefit of our patients.
To this end, we send you a questionnaire at regular intervals (usually annually) to obtain information about your or your child’s state of health. We ask you to answer these questions and to inform us of any side effects and any tumour relapses. Recent photos of the radiotherapy area are also very valuable for us.
Of course, you, your family doctor or your oncologist are welcome to contact us at any time with questions, even after treatment has been completed.
Data protection
Medical data is considered to be particularly worthy of protection and is subject to the Swiss Data Protection Act and the Human Research Act. At the Center for Proton Therapy, your reports and documents are kept locked away and electronic data is stored in password- protected, dedicated information systems and secured by firewalls and back-up systems.
Access to the data is restricted to persons who need it for their work. These employees are subject to the provisions of medical confidentiality.
