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2008 update of the guideline: early detection of breast cancer in Germany

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Abstract

Introduction

The goal of the 2008 updated guideline: early detection of breast cancer in Germany is to support physicians as well as healthy and affected women in the decision-making process involved in the diagnostic chain for the early detection of breast cancer by providing them with evidence- and consensus-based recommendations. The updated guideline replaces the guideline issued in 2003.

Materials and methods

The guideline forms the basis for developing an effective and efficient national early breast cancer detection program that meets the standards set by the Council of Europe and WHO for cancer control programs. The guideline presents the current, evidence- and consensus-based state of scientific knowledge in a multidisciplinary approach for the entire diagnostic chain, consisting of history taking and risk consultation, information on health behavior, clinical breast examination, diagnostic imaging, image-guided percutaneous tissue-acquisition techniques, open surgical excisional biopsy and pathomorphological tissue evaluation. The guideline recommends a set of quality indicators to assure resource availability, performance quality and outcomes enhancing total quality management for early breast cancer diagnosis.

Conclusion

Currently, early detection of breast cancer offers the most promising possibility to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and, as a result, reduce breast cancer mortality and improve health related quality of life in women.

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Acknowledgments

The project: Update of the Guideline: Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Germany—Model Project for the Updating of Stage-3-Guidelines in Germany, Funding Code: 107374 was funded by the German Cancer Aid and the German Society of Senology and was developed independent of any funding from government or industry. Individuals contributing to the Guideline signed declarations on possible conflicts of interests. We thank A. Rost and I. Striesow for secretarial and organizational support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany

    Ute-Susann Albert, Volker Duda & Uwe Wagner

  2. German Professional Association of Radiologists, St. Augustin, Germany

    Helmut Altland

  3. Munich Tumor Register, Grosshadern Medical Center, Munich, Germany

    Jutta Engel

  4. Public Health, Heinrich-Hein-University, Düsseldorf, Germany

    Max Geraedts

  5. Mammography Reference Center, Munich, Germany

    Syvia Heywang-Köbrunner

  6. Institute for Medical Data Processing, Biometries and Epidemiology, Grosshadern Medical Center, Munich, Germany

    Dieter Hölzel

  7. German Cancer Aid, Bonn, Germany

    Eva Kalbheim

  8. Center for Clinical Studies, University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany

    Michael Koller

  9. German Professional Association of Gynecologists, Steinbach, Germany

    Klaus König

  10. Faculty of Medicine, University Ulm, Ulm, Germany

    Rolf Kreienberg

  11. Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Center, Esslingen, Germany

    Thorsten Kühn

  12. Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathologie, Hamburg, Germany

    Annette Lebeau

  13. Women’s Health Coalition, Darmstadt, Germany

    Irmgard Nass-Griegoleit

  14. German Professional Association of Pathologists, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

    Werner Schlake

  15. Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Rita Schmutzler

  16. Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center, Breast Center, Kiel, Germany

    Ingrid Schreer

  17. German Federal Self-Help Organisation for Women with Cancer, Bonn, Germany

    Hilde Schulte

  18. Institute for Diagnostic Radiology and Gynecologic Radiology, Erlangen, Germany

    Rüdiger Schulz-Wendtland

  19. Association of the Scientific Medical Societies, Marburg, Germany

    Ina Kopp

Authors
  1. Ute-Susann Albert
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  2. Helmut Altland
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  3. Volker Duda
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  4. Jutta Engel
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  5. Max Geraedts
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  6. Syvia Heywang-Köbrunner
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  7. Dieter Hölzel
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  8. Eva Kalbheim
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  9. Michael Koller
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  10. Klaus König
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  14. Irmgard Nass-Griegoleit
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  15. Werner Schlake
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  16. Rita Schmutzler
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  17. Ingrid Schreer
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  18. Hilde Schulte
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  19. Rüdiger Schulz-Wendtland
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  20. Uwe Wagner
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  21. Ina Kopp
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ute-Susann Albert.

Additional information

Dedication: In memory of Klaus-Dieter Schulz, in highest respect for his contributions to improve breast health care, founder of the guideline task force Concerted Action Early Detection of Breast Cancer in Germany (“Konzertierte Aktion Brustkrebs-Früherkennung in Deutschland”) in 1999, who passed away on 29 September 2007.

The original German version of this paper has been published in Geburtsh Frauenheilk 2008; 68:251–261.

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Albert, US., Altland, H., Duda, V. et al. 2008 update of the guideline: early detection of breast cancer in Germany. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 135, 339–354 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-008-0450-y

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