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The National Breast Cancer Audit (NBCA) collects data and information from breast surgeons across Australia and New Zealand about the treatment and care of women with breast cancer. The NBCA was established in 1998 with the purpose of improving the quality of care for women with breast cancer and now has over 270 surgeons participating in the reporting process. Women are able to search the database to see if their surgeon is participating in the NBCA. This may also be useful to women who are in the process of selecting a surgeon.
Research articles which provide a picture of various aspects of the treatment and care of women with early breast cancer are regularly produced from the data collected. We will update this webpage with new research summaries as they become available. More information about the NBCA, and about how to search for a surgeon in the database, can be found at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons website.
In May, research summaries cover topics such as the surgical choices of younger women, and the treatment and management of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). Below are three examples of the research summaries available.
Article Summaries
May 2009
Have clinical guidelines for breast cancer treatments changed practice?
Clinical guidelines provide a framework for health care professionals to deliver treatment to women with breast cancer. The clinical guidelines for breast cancer treatment were developed in 1995, and recommended that women who had breast conserving surgery should receive radiotherapy. Data collected from surgeons in Australia and New Zealand shows the number of women receiving the recommended treatment doubled in the ten year period since the introduction of the guidelines. By 2007, 90% of women were receiving the recommended treatment.
Trends in surgical treatment of younger women with breast cancer
Younger women are less likely to have breast conserving surgery than older women. During the period 1998 to 2006, 52.6% of younger women had breast conserving surgery. The study involved 2481 younger women with breast cancer living in Australia and New Zealand. Surgical choices were influenced by the size of the tumour, location within the breast, the severity of the tumour and if cancer cells had reached the lymph nodes. Over the seven year period, the proportion of young women undergoing breast conserving surgery or mastectomy remained relatively stable.
Treatment and management of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ in Australia and New Zealand
Research has found that overall women with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) received treatment according to the clinical guidelines. DCIS develops in, and is confined to, the milk ducts and milk sacs of the breast. DCIS accounts for around 20% of all breast cancers diagnosed. Recommended improvements included increasing the use of radiation therapy for large or severe tumours and reducing the use of sugery to the lymph nodes of the armpit. Finally, the researchers suggest more detailed research on the benefits of Tamoxifen for women with DCIS would be beneficial.
For more details about these summaries or to review further journal abstracts, click here.
Last updated June 2009
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