| Dr Douglas Adamson, consultant clinical oncologist at Ninewells Hospital, was commenting on the release of the latest national guidelines on the treatment of breast cancer, aimed at ensuring women across Scotland get access to the same standard of treatment based on the latest evidence-based research.
In women, 30% of all cancers occur in the breast making it the most commonly diagnosed female cancer. More than 3600 women in Scotland were newly diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002.
Dr Adamson chaired the development group that produced the latest breast cancer guidelines for the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), Scotland’s national clinical guidelines body.
Dr Adamson said, “Our guidelines show surgery remains a crucial part of curative treatment, but some advances have been made in radiotherapy and in drug treatments too.
“Patients have made it clear they wish more choice, information, and support through their treatment and the recommendations on psychological care and breast cancer nurse support reflect this.
“In Scotland, we will continue to treat on the best available evidence and safety data.
“It is clear we need more information from clinical studies, particularly in areas other than drug research, and patients should ask their team about joining any clinical trials in their own area.”
The new guidelines give developments in radiotherapy for women diagnosed with breast cancer an important seal of approval.
In cases where breast cancer is incurable, help from highly trained ‘palliative care’ staff is recommended in a move designed to better support women through the trauma of diagnosis and treatment.
Breast cancer is one of the best-researched areas in medicine and today’s SIGN guideline provides the NHS with recommendations based on advances in radio-therapy, surgery and chemotherapy, and in how to best recognise the psychological effects of breast cancer.
Evidence is emerging radiotherapy significantly prolongs survival after surgery as well as greatly reducing the risk of the cancer reappearing in the breast. Adding radiotherapy to surgery and chemotherapy lessens the risk of breast cancer recurring in the breast area by two-thirds.
Women can undergo psychological distress during the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, and the necessity for a tailored assessment of the need for psychological support is underlined.
Information for patients and carers is available on the SIGN website. |
