Trends in the treatment of breast cancer in Southeast England following the introduction of national guidelines

Tataru D, Robinson D, Møller H, Davies E
Thames Cancer Registry, 1st Floor Capital House, 42 Weston Street, London SE1 3QD.
Email: dave.robinson@kcl.ac.uk

Journal of Public Health (Oxford) 2006 28, 215-217

There is little published evidence on trends in the treatment of breast cancer in England following the publication of the Calman-Hine report in 1995. Reliable national data are available for women with screen-detected breast cancer, but data on women presenting symptomatically have been difficult to collect. Using data from both a clinical audit database and a population-based cancer register, we show that between 1996 and 2003 the rates of mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment for women with breast cancer in Southeast England have increased marginally, whereas there has been a steady decline in the use of hormone therapy and radiotherapy recorded within 6 months of diagnosis.

MEDLINE abstract