nical outcome data for symptomatic breast cancer: the breast cancer clinical outcome measures (BCCOM) project
T Bates, O Kearins, I Monypenny, C Lagord and G Lawrence
Background: Data collection for screen-detected breast cancer in the United Kingdom is fully funded, which has led to improvements in clinical practice. However, data on symptomatic cancer are deficient, and the aim of this project was to monitor the current practice.
Methods: A data set was designed together with surrogate outcome measures to reflect best practice. Data from cancer registries initially required the consent of clinicians, but in the third year anonymised data were available.
Results:The quality of data improved, but this varied by region and only a third of the cases were validated by clinicians. Regional variations in mastectomy rates were identified, and one-third of patients who underwent conservative surgery for the treatment invasive breast cancer were not recorded as receiving radiotherapy.
Conclusion: National data are essential to ensure that all patients receive appropriate treatment for breast cancer, but variations still exist in the United Kingdom and further improvement in data capture is required.
Keywords: breast neoplasm, data collection, clinical audit, mass screening, surgery, treatment outcome
Correspondence: Dr C Lagord, West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit, Public Health Building, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. E-mail: catherine.lagord@nhs.net
Similar entries
- Older breast cancer patients less likely to have ‘standard’ treatments
- Social variations in access to hospital care for patients with colorectal, breast, and lung cancer between 1999 and 2006: retros
- What is the future for NSAIDS in preventing breast cancer in older women?
- Breast Cancer after Use of Estrogen plus Progestin in Postmenopausal Women
- Older patients missing out on fair treatment
- Age limit raised on breast checks
- 'NHS age discrimination puts at risk the lives of older women with breast cancer'
- HRT cancer connection 'confirmed'
- Supporting Women with Breast Cancer Conference
- Lung cancer care 'inadequate'
