title: Audit system on quality of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment (QT): results of quality indicators on screen-detected lesions in Italy in 2005 and preliminary results for 2006.
abstract: Within this survey, conducted by the Italian Group of Mammography Screening (GISMa), individual data are collected yearly on more than 50% of all screen-detected operated lesions in Italy. In 2005, results showed overall good diagnosis and treatment quality, and an improving trend over time. Critical issues were identified in waiting times, compliance with the recommendations on not performing frozen section examination on small lesions and on performing specimen X-ray. Pre-operative diagnosis has reached the acceptable target, but room for improvement still exists. The sentinel lymph node technique (SLN) was performed on the axilla in more than 70% of screen-detected invasive cancers, avoiding a large number of potentially harmful dissections. On the other hand, potential overuse of SLN deserves further investigation. The detailed results have been distributed to local and regional screening programmes in order to allow multidisciplinary discussion and the identification of appropriate solutions to any problems documented by the data. Specialist Breast Units with adequate case volume would provide the best setting for making audit effective in producing quality improvement.
authors.affiliation: CPO Piemonte, Torino.
authors.forename: Maria Piera
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mano
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Distante
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomatis
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baiocchi
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barca
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bordon
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Filippini
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigerio
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mantellini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naldoni
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ramera
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ravaioli
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sapino
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taffurelli
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vettorazzi
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zangirolami
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zorzi
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cataliotti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosselli del Turco
authors.forename: Nereo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Segnan
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ponti
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003133:Commission on Professional and Hospital Activities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*