title: 2008 update of the guideline: early detection of breast cancer in Germany.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of the 2008 updated guideline: early detection of breast cancer in Germany is to support physicians as well as healthy and affected women in the decision-making process involved in the diagnostic chain for the early detection of breast cancer by providing them with evidence- and consensus-based recommendations. The updated guideline replaces the guideline issued in 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  The guideline forms the basis for developing an effective and efficient national early breast cancer detection program that meets the standards set by the Council of Europe and WHO for cancer control programs. The guideline presents the current, evidence- and consensus-based state of scientific knowledge in a multidisciplinary approach for the entire diagnostic chain, consisting of history taking and risk consultation, information on health behavior, clinical breast examination, diagnostic imaging, image-guided percutaneous tissue-acquisition techniques, open surgical excisional biopsy and pathomorphological tissue evaluation. The guideline recommends a set of quality indicators to assure resource availability, performance quality and outcomes enhancing total quality management for early breast cancer diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Currently, early detection of breast cancer offers the most promising possibility to optimize the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and, as a result, reduce breast cancer mortality and improve health related quality of life in women.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany. albertu@med.uni-marburg.de
authors.forename: Ute-Susann
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Altland
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Duda
authors.forename: Jutta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Engel
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geraedts
authors.forename: Syvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heywang-Köbrunner
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hölzel
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kalbheim
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: König
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kreienberg
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kühn
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lebeau
authors.forename: Irmgard
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nass-Griegoleit
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schlake
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schmutzler
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schreer
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulte
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulz-Wendtland
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Ina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kopp
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016504:Breast Self-Examination / Q000379:methods; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008487:Medical History Taking; D016896:Treatment Outcome