Canadian breast cancer guidelines do not meet their objectiveMarch 13, 2007The Canadian Practice Guidelines for the Care and Treatment of Breast Cancer, first published in 1998, were developed to reduce variation in the way that breast cancer was being treated. To determine whether the guidelines have influenced practice, Steven Latosinsky and colleagues performed a population-based study, supported by the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, that included women living in Manitoba in whom breast cancer was diagnosed from 1995 to 2003. By examining 4 measures of care, they found that there was clinically significant variation in the province-wide rates of all measures studied and that introduction of the guidelines in 1998 did not affect either the province-wide rates or variations in these rates between surgeons. Their findings suggest that the Canadian breast cancer guidelines are not meeting their objective. In a related commentary, Eva Grunfeld discusses the implications of this finding and asks the million dollar question — are guidelines effective? She notes that publication is only one component among many that affects adoption of guidelines into clinical practice and concludes that the Canadian breast cancer guidelines are as effective as possible under the circumstances. Canadian Medical Association Journal |
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| Related Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles UCLA researchers create 'fly paper' to capture circulating cancer cells Just as fly paper captures insects, an innovative new device with nano-sized features developed by researchers at UCLA is able to grab cancer cells in the blood that have broken off from a tumor. Fertility procedures need not delay breast cancer treatment for younger women A new study published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that breast cancer patients under 40 years old who undergo fertility preservation do not face a significant delay in the treatment of their disease when their care is coordinated in a timely fashion. Coffee break: Compound brewing new research in colon, breast cancer A compound in coffee has been found to be estrogenic in studies by Texas AgriLife Research scientists. Drugs to treat anemia in cancer patients linked to thromboembolism Medications frequently given to cancer patients to reduce their risk of anemia are associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, according to new research led by Dawn Hershman, M.D, M.S., co-director of the breast cancer program at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Discovery in worms by Queen's researchers points to more targeted cancer treatment Researchers at Queen's University have found a link between two genes involved in cancer formation in humans, by examining the genes in worms. The groundbreaking discovery provides a foundation for how tumor-forming genes interact, and may offer a drug target for cancer treatment. FDA approved leukemia drugs shows promise in ovarian cancer cells The drug Sprycel, approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, significantly inhibited the growth and invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells and also promoted their death, a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found. Carnegie Mellon researchers link health-care debate to risk of dying in US and Europe The current health care debate in the United States is complicated. Trade-offs between heath care expenditures, lifestyle choices and life expectancy have been suggested but seldom clearly demonstrated. Scientists uncover new key to the puzzle of hormone therapy and breast cancer The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer. Breast density associated with increased risk of cancer recurrence A new study finds that women treated for breast cancer are at higher risk of cancer recurrence if they have dense breasts. Published in the December 15, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study's results indicate that breast cancer patients with dense breasts may benefit from additional therapies following surgery, such as radiation. Researcher: 'Optical biopsy' for breast cancer increasingly accurate But women may not have to endure the medical costs, stress and potential complications that accompany such invasive biopsies forever. A University of Florida biomedical engineering researcher is making progress on an "optical biopsy" that has the potential to determine whether growths are cancerous without ever puncturing the skin. More Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles |
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