BACKGROUND: Increasing effort has been put in the implementation and certification of breast centers in order to establish standardized, quality assured health care for breast cancer patients. The aim of this analysis was to investigate whether patients treated in certified breast centers (CBC) have a favorable prognosis as compared to patients treated outside of certified breast treatment units. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data of 3,940 patients with invasive nonmetastatic breast cancer were analyzed with regard to differences in patient and tumor characteristics and crude overall survival according to diagnosis in or outside CBC in Middle Franconia, Germany. Patient, tumor, and follow-up data were obtained from the clinical cancer registry. RESULTS: Patients in CBC were younger, and had lower disease stages and lower grading. Independent of the effects of these variables on overall survival, being treated at a CBC added to the prediction of overall survival. Patients treated at a CBC had a hazard ratio of 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.52-0.93) in the adjusted Cox model. CONCLUSIONS: Independent from common prognostic factors, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer at a CBC improves the prognosis of patients. It can be hypothesized that this effect is mediated through quality assured health care provided by the certification process.
BACKGROUND: Increasing effort has been put in the implementation and certification of breast centers in order to establish standardized, quality assured health care for breast cancerpatients. The aim of this analysis was to investigate whether patients treated in certified breast centers (CBC) have a favorable prognosis as compared to patients treated outside of certified breast treatment units. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data of 3,940 patients with invasive nonmetastatic breast cancer were analyzed with regard to differences in patient and tumor characteristics and crude overall survival according to diagnosis in or outside CBC in Middle Franconia, Germany. Patient, tumor, and follow-up data were obtained from the clinical cancer registry. RESULTS:Patients in CBC were younger, and had lower disease stages and lower grading. Independent of the effects of these variables on overall survival, being treated at a CBC added to the prediction of overall survival. Patients treated at a CBC had a hazard ratio of 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.52-0.93) in the adjusted Cox model. CONCLUSIONS: Independent from common prognostic factors, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer at a CBC improves the prognosis of patients. It can be hypothesized that this effect is mediated through quality assured health care provided by the certification process.
Authors: M P Lux; P A Fasching; C R Loehberg; S M Jud; M G Schrauder; M R Bani; F C Thiel; C C Hack; T Hildebrandt; M W Beckmann Journal: Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd Date: 2011-12 Impact factor: 2.915
Authors: Paul Gaß; Peter A Fasching; Tanja Fehm; Johann de Waal; Mahdi Rezai; Bernd Baier; Gerold Baake; Hans-Christian Kolberg; Martin Guggenberger; Mathias Warm; Nadia Harbeck; Rachel Wuerstlein; Jörg-Uwe Deuker; Peter Dall; Barbara Richter; Grischa Wachsmann; Cosima Brucker; Jan W Siebers; Nikos Fersis; Thomas Kuhn; Christopher Wolf; Hans-Walter Vollert; Georg-Peter Breitbach; Wolfgang Janni; Robert Landthaler; Andreas Kohls; Daniela Rezek; Thomas Noesselt; Gunnar Fischer; Stephan Henschen; Thomas Praetz; Volker Heyl; Thorsten Kühn; Thomas Krauss; Christoph Thomssen; Andre Hohn; Hans Tesch; Christoph Mundhenke; Alexander Hein; Claudia Rauh; Christian M Bayer; Adib Jacob; Katja Schmidt; Erik Belleville; Peyman Hadji; Sara Y Brucker; Matthias W Beckmann; Diethelm Wallwiener; Sherko Kümmel; Christian R Löhberg Journal: Breast Care (Basel) Date: 2016-10-27 Impact factor: 2.860
Authors: Lothar Häberle; Alexander Hein; Matthias Rübner; Michael Schneider; Arif B Ekici; Paul Gass; Arndt Hartmann; Rüdiger Schulz-Wendtland; Matthias W Beckmann; Wing-Yee Lo; Werner Schroth; Hiltrud Brauch; Peter A Fasching; Marius Wunderle Journal: Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd Date: 2017-06-28 Impact factor: 2.915
Authors: Margaret Formago; Michael G Schrauder; Claudia Rauh; Carolin C Hack; Sebastian M Jud; Thomas Hildebrandt; Rüdiger Schulz-Wendtland; S Frentz; S Graubert; Matthias W Beckmann; Michael P Lux Journal: Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd Date: 2017-08-24 Impact factor: 2.915
Authors: C C Hack; L Häberle; K Geisler; R Schulz-Wendtland; A Hartmann; P A Fasching; M Uder; D L Wachter; S M Jud; C R Loehberg; M P Lux; C Rauh; M W Beckmann; K Heusinger Journal: Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd Date: 2013-02 Impact factor: 2.915