title: The West Midlands breast cancer screening status algorithm - methodology and use as an audit tool.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To illustrate the ability of the West Midlands breast screening status algorithm to assign a screening status to women with malignant breast cancer, and its uses as a quality assurance and audit tool.
  
  
  METHODS
  Breast cancers diagnosed between the introduction of the National Health Service [NHS] Breast Screening Programme and 31 March 2001 were obtained from the West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit (WMCIU). Screen-detected tumours were identified via breast screening units, and the remaining cancers were assigned to one of eight screening status categories. Multiple primaries and recurrences were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A screening status was assigned to 14,680 women (96% of the cohort examined), 110 cancers were not registered at the WMCIU and the cohort included 120 screen-detected recurrences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The West Midlands breast screening status algorithm is a robust simple tool which can be used to derive data to evaluate the efficacy and impact of the NHS Breast Screening Programme.
authors.affiliation: Breast Screening QA Reference Centre, West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit, Public Health Building, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: Gill
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: Olive
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kearins
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tappenden
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallis
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walton
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D013222:State Medicine