[Breast cancer surgery in Denmark].
BACKGROUND
Surgical treatment for breast cancer is changing towards less extensive procedures and hence the need for hospitalisation is reduced. In order to investigate the organisation of such procedures, the choice of surgical procedures, length of hospitalisation, and mortality were evaluated using information from The National Board of Health.


METHODS
Mandatory data reported to the Danish National Board of Health for 2008.


RESULTS
A total of 19 units performed 4,000 surgical procedures. Three private care units performed 1.2% of all procedures. No postoperative mortality was registered. Mean length of stay was 2.5 days.


CONCLUSIONS
The organisation of breast cancer treatment in public health care in Denmark is satisfactory with high volume units (> 100 women with primary breast cancer per year). It seems possible to aim at further reduction in the mean length of stay moving towards a fast track concept.
Rigshospitalet, HovedOrtoCenteret, Brystkirurgisk Afdeling CE, Denmark.
Niels
N
Kroman
Peer
P
Christiansen
Zubair B
ZB
Hussain
Henrik
H
Kehlet
D000328:Adult; D001365:Axilla / Q000601:surgery; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015412:Mastectomy, Segmental; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy