New ECIBC recommendations on breast cancer
Caritas Coimbra is a supporter of the European Commission Breast Cancer Initiative (ECIBC).
The ECIBC has released 17 new recommendations providing now access to a total of 40 recommendations on breast cancer screening and diagnosis, as part of the European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer (ECIBC), announced also via the JRC website (EU Science Hub).
The published recommendations address:
- how often women of different age ranges, with no symptoms who are not at high risk of breast cancer, should undertake periodic mammography screening
- the most suitable way to invite a woman for a screening, and how to inform them of the harms and benefits
- strategies for communicating effectively with vulnerable groups such as non-native speakers, socially disadvantaged women or those with an intellectual disability
- the type of examination to perform in order to assess women with suspicious lesions discovered during mammography screening
- the aiding of surgical planning of women with cancer lesions: e.g. the use of clip marking (a 2-3 mm device, visible in different imaging techniques, placed in the breast tissue to locate where the excision needs to be made).
The ECIBC work on the Guideline development is planned to be completed in 2019 when a total of 80 recommendations will be publicly accessible and tailored to three groups:
- healthcare professionals,
- patients/individuals,
- policymakers.
The topics covered include strategies on the organisation of screening programmes, types of tests to be offered, mammogram reading, diagnostic methods, how to communicate results and training of professionals involved in breast cancer screening and diagnosis.
In line with World Cancer Day’s goals, these recommendations aim to help women to be better informed and to guide policymakers and healthcare professionals to plan, organise, and deliver effective and accessible breast cancer services.
