Re-Cap of Successful NF Symposium
Another successful and informative UAB NF Symposium, also known as NF Family Day, was held earlier this month in the Bradley Lecture Center of the Children’s Harbor Building. Co-sponsored by UAB and the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF), this half-day, free event provided an opportunity for NF patients and families to hear a series of presentations on a range of NF-related topics from clinical experts. We were pleased to host more than 70 attendees from several states, including as far away as Colorado. A special program of activities was provided for the children in attendance by NF Clinic staff as well as students in the UAB Genetic Counseling and Biomedical Sciences Programs. For the first time, this year’s event featured a keynote speaker from outside the UAB community, New York University neuro-oncologist Kaleb Yohay, M.D., who gave a presentation about the role of alternative medicine in the management of NF. This topic is of great interest to many of our patients, who often ask about the possible benefits of alternative medicine treatments. While alternative medicine is not known to be effective in shrinking tumors or slowing their growth, in some cases there could be some benefits in managing symptoms of NF that can impact quality of life. UAB Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Neuro-Oncology Alyssa Reddy, M.D., provided an update of NF-related clinical trials currently in progress, and I gave a presentation about recommended clinical management for all three forms of neurofibromatosis. In addition to serving as a forum for educating NF patients, families, and the community about important NF-related topics, the event also provides a means for establishing a connection with other NF families who are sharing the same journey. Several NF patients and family members shared how they came to be diagnosed and their personal experiences of managing care for themselves or loved ones.
Frequency of NF Clinic Visits
Next, I’d like to address a question that patients frequently ask, which is how often should an individual with NF be seen in a specialty NF clinic? I generally recommend that children be seen in clinic on a regular basis, usually once a year. The rationale for recommending clinic visits for children annually is to help in the identification of any NF-related problems during a period of rapid change as a child develops. In early childhood, there is uncertainty about how NF will evolve, with the potential for the development of complications such as optic glioma, scoliosis, and bone dysplasia. For this reason, I recommend that children should be seen once a year by both an NF specialist and a pediatric ophthalmologist. Of course, if there are recognized problems, it may be appropriate to see a child more than once a year; that should be decided by the physician, together with the family.
Annual review in an NF Clinic can also be recommended for adults with NF. Again, the exact frequency of visits depends on the nature of the clinical problems facing the individual. Some have active problems that require more frequent follow-up; others have been stable for a long period of time, with little change from year-to-year. In the latter instance, one can debate whether annual follow-up is really necessary. I can’t say that a rigid annual schedule is critical for all adults with NF1 if nothing is changing clinically. There are, however, advantages to regular follow-up. First, sometime these visits provide an opportunity to review symptoms that may have been present for a while, but weren’t severe enough to warrant a special visit. Probably most of these are not medically significant, but sometimes complaints such as pain require further investigation to rule out problems such as malignant change of a neurofibroma. We do occasionally see people with NF after a gap of many years who have developed significant complications that ideally would have been identified earlier. A second reason to consider annual follow-up is to stay up-to-date on new advances in the field. For example, we now have access to clinical trials and even prescription medications that didn’t exist even a few years ago. The field is changing rapidly, and there is value to staying in touch, as something that couldn’t be treated years ago may well be treatable going forward. A third reason is to provide updated education on NF, including things to look for that might be a sign of progression of the condition. NF can be a complicated condition, so hearing about the major signs repeatedly over a period of years can be helpful. Finally, regular – not too frequent, but regular – visits provide a way to stay in touch with the medical team, so that they are familiar with a person’s history if problems do eventually arise.
Our goal is to help patients to be more proactive about their own care and encourage them to stay in touch with their NF care team through tools such as the UAB patient portal when concerns arise. Also, we’re currently working to develop an educational app that will help patients better understand their condition and signs of potential problems. The key for successfully managing NF is to remain vigilant about potential problems as much as possible.
