German Recommendations for Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer 2008. What is New from the Breast Commission of the German Gynaecological Oncology Working Group (AGO)?

Some form of standardised treatment for patients with breast cancer is probably well established in German health institutions throughout the country. Keeping standards up to date, however, is a rather complex activity involving time and financial resources. Turnover of scientific knowledge is fast and numerous. Most health care professionals will not be able to ensure such kind of evidence-based diagnostics and treatment standards of care alone. The breast commission of the German Gynaecological Oncology Working Group (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie, AGO) has again published their yearly update on recommendations for the diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer. Literature was screened for new findings up to the beginning of 2008. Changes were incorporated in nearly all of the 25 chapters. Notably, duration and schedules of adjuvant endocrine therapy, updated adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, findings in plastic surgery, radiotherapy for node positive disease, evaluation of new prognostic and predictive factors, classification of lobular neoplasia, treatment of Paget's disease, inflammatory breast cancer, and sarcoma, as well as lapatinib and bevacizumab are discussed, only to mention a few. Using this easy accessible tool, high quality care can be given to the patient, standards can be communicated and justified to the health care system and new ideas will arise for clinical and pre-clinical development.