Documentation of Late-Effects Risks and Screening Recommendations for Adolescent and Young Adult Central Nervous System, Soft Tissue, or Bone Tumor Survivors Treated with Radiotherapy in British Columbia, Canada.

Abstract

To assess the documentation of late-effects (LE) risks and screening recommendations in medical records of adolescent and young adult central nervous system (CNS), soft tissue, and bone tumor survivors. The medical records of all patients diagnosed with a CNS neoplasm, an arteriovenous malformation, a soft tissue, and bone tumor, at ages 15-39 years, treated between 1985 and 2010 with radiation therapy in the province of British Columbia, Canada, surviving >5 years, alive, and discharged to the community were assessed. The documentation of LE risks and screening recommendations were analyzed descriptively. In the medical records of 132 CNS tumor survivors and 94 soft tissue or bone tumor survivors, 15% and 13% included no documentation of LE risks, 21% and 22% included only nonspecific documentation, and 64% and 65% minimal documentation, respectively. Documentation of at least one specific LE risk increased significantly among CNS tumor patient charts (from 29% in 1980-1989, to 67% in 1990-1999, to 88% in 2000-2010, χ2 [2, N = 132] = 32.257, p < 0.000) and soft tissue or bone tumor patient charts (from 47% [1980-1989] to 56% [1990-1999] to 78% [2000-2010], χ2 [2, N = 94] = 6.702, p = 0.035). There was no documentation of a screening recommendation in 75% of CNS tumor patient charts and 91% of soft tissue and bone tumor charts. The documentation of LE risks and screening recommendations has been limited, highlighting the need to improve written communication with primary care providers.