Research project

Basal Cell Carcinoma Follow-Up Study

Providing personalised information to low-risk skin cancer patients to reduce low-value follow-up visits while not reducing the patient satisfaction.

What we do

About our project

What is the motivation for this research?

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer in the Netherlands (approximately 40,000 people develop a first BCC annually) and the incidence continues to increase by 5% per year. The BCC is a slow growing tumour which almost never metastases.

The Dutch BCC guideline recommends that annual checks are only necessary for high-risk BCC patients. It is estimated that about 70% of the BCCs are low risk. This large group of patients does not need an annual skin check by the dermatologist. The guideline does recommend giving a generic information leaflet and instructing the patient on self-examining their skin.

What is the aim?

The B-FUS project aims to reduce the number of check-ups of patients after low-risk basal cell carcinoma at the dermatologist, while not reducing the patient satisfaction.

How will you perform this research?

We interviewed dermatologists and general practitioners to understand their barriers and facilitators concerning low-value follow-up care to low-risk basal cell carcinoma (BCC) patients. In addition, we organised three focus groups with low-risk BCC patients to learn their needs and preferences. The best feasible strategy to reduce the amount of low-value follow-up visits seemed to provide personalised information for these patients. Currently we are testing we are testing a letter with information tailored to the individual patients, in nine hospitals and compare this with a control group who does not receive this letter.

Our research focus

The amount of follow-up visits of patients after low-risk basal cell carcinoma at the dermatologist will be reduced, while we hope to even increase their satisfaction with information and care.