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June 28-29, 2019 | Oslo, Norway
Page 28
Journal of Medical and Health Sciences | ISSN : 2319-9865
Joint Event
Volume 08
Breast Pathology & Cancer, Gynecology & Obstetrics Pathology, Palliativecare & Gerontology 2019
Breast Pathology & Cancer
Palliativecare & Gerontology
Gynecology and Obstetrics Pathology
Ioannis G Papanikolaou, RRJMHS 2019, Volume 08
Standards for quality of care in breast cancer treatment:
European criteria for certification of breast units and
breast surgeons
A
s the topic of my lecture suggests, I will focus on certif ication criteria
of breast units and breast surgeons across Europe, which are crucial
issues for the appropriate therapeutic management of breast cancer. The
last GLOBOCAN estimates for breast cancer, classify this carcinoma as the
most common in the female. Treatment options have changed and modern
breast surgery tends to have a more conservative and cosmesis-preserving
face. Breast cancer treatment involves many medical specialties and
requires deep knowledge, training, expertise and dedication. The European
Board for Surgical Qualification gives guidelines on eligibility criteria
for involvement in breast surgery defining metrics for operations that a
breast surgeon should have performed and defines with precise metrics
the numbers of procedures in which a qualified breast surgeons should be
involved. Different international societies are involved in education and
certif ication of competency in breast surgery. Many authors highlight that
treatment of breast cancer in high-volume centers is of crucial importance
because it improves five-year survival up to 33%. Furthermore, the number
of breast cancer surgeries that a breast surgeon performs per year seems to
be an independent prognostic factor for patients’ survival, recurrence and
general outcome. For all these reasons, treatment of breast cancer in certified
breast units by specialized breast surgeons is mandatory. New techniques of
oncoplasticbreast-conservingsurgerychallengethecurrentarmamentarium
of therapeutic options, proving excellent cosmetic results with comparable
oncological outcome to the standard breast-conserving surgery.
Furthermore, oncoplastic techniques improve patients’ satisfaction and
qualityof life after breast cancer diagnosis.Genetic counseling, psychological
support and multimodal treatment from a breast-dedicated team which
involves many specialties are mandatory for qualitative standards of care.
Ioannis G Papanikolaou
University of Athens, Greece