The results of questionnaire on assessing and reporting of side effects in Turkey: “Turkish Oncology Group (TOG) Early-Late Side Effects Working Party” study

OBJECTIVES: To report and to discuss the data revealed from the questionnaire that was designed to recognise the assessment and reporting the side effects of chemo- and radiotherapy in cancer centres of Turkey. METHODS: Sixty-four cancer centres/departments were invited to the study. Sixteen questions were designed to find out the general characteristics for evaluating and reporting acute and late toxicity in centres. The institutes’ follow-up schedules and patients’ general profiles that regularly come to their follow-up were also requested. RESULTS: A total of 36 centres/departments (19 medical oncology; 17 radiation oncology) answered to the questions. Side effect reporting was performed in 53%. The major obstacle in terms of assessing and reporting the toxicity was the busy work in out patients’ clinic (83%) whereas other problems like lack of awareness for acute (11%) and late (22%) effects were determined less frequently. CONCLUSION: To follow-up the side effects is as crucial as to follow-up the disease itself. Assessment and reporting of these effects might be ignored under daily busy labour. Both the efforts for progressing the knowledge and the awareness, and simple toxicity evaluation forms may help for appraising and reporting the toxicity.