Post-operative review and follow-up of lung cancer

         Patients with lung cancer have a high rate of recurrence and metastasis after surgery, and some of them will develop lung cancer again, which is a basic characteristic of malignant tumors. Therefore, we require all lung cancer patients to undergo regular checkups and follow-ups after surgery. Generally speaking, in the first year after surgery, patients should be reviewed every three months; in the second year, every six months; and in the future, every year. The review in the first year after surgery includes postoperative related examination and oncology related examination. A small amount of effusion in the chest cavity on one side of the surgery may occur in the early postoperative period, which is a normal phenomenon, but if the effusion in the chest cavity increases from less after surgery, it should be actively treated. Chest CT review should be done at least once a year, which helps to detect microscopic lung lesion metastasis and should be treated promptly once the imaging examination is problematic.       Another benefit of regular follow-up examinations is that patients can get the latest progress about lung cancer treatment from doctors in time and can receive new technology and new drugs at the first time. Regular follow-up examinations should last for at least 5 years.       To facilitate the follow-up work, please bring all the medical records before and after surgery (pathology report, surgery records, imaging data taken during previous visits, including chest X-ray, CT, MRI, etc. If you have received chemotherapy, you should be able to provide the expert with the chemotherapy regimen, the course of chemotherapy and the evaluation of the effect of chemotherapy, such as the change of tumor size, etc.). After the review, don’t forget to ask the doctor for the examination results and review conclusion, and keep them properly so that they can be provided completely in the next review, and ask for the next review time and appointment method.