SEATTLE, Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- A special supplement of the Oct. 15
journal Cancer for the first time details guidelines for low- and
middle-income countries to implement breast cancer programs to detect and
treat the most common disease among women worldwide.
"Guidelines for International Breast Health and Cancer Control -
Implementation" developed by the Breast Health Global Initiative (BHGI)
outlines a tiered system of resource allocation -- based on countries'
overall economic status and availability of resources -- toward early
detection, diagnosis, treatment, and developing an overall breast health
program. Other papers contained in the supplement outline how countries
implement programs in breast pathology, radiation treatment, surgery and
treatment of locally-advanced cancer.
"The breast health guidelines for implementation will be an essential
medical reference for low- and middle-income countries to improve breast
health outcomes," said Benjamin O. Anderson, M.D., founder, chair and
director of the Seattle-based BHGI organization
BHGI, an alliance comprised of a strategic mix of
internationally-focused health care organizations, was founded by Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
"The BHGI guidelines are intended to assist ministers of health,
policymakers, administrators and institutions in prioritizing resource
allocation as breast cancer treatment programs are implemented and
developed in their resource-constrained countries," the authors note in
their overview of the 172-page supplement. The 16 articles by 56 authors
from around the world are the culmination of work begun in 2002 when the
first of three global summits on breast health took place.
"The development and implementation of these international
evidence-based breast health care guidelines, which are oriented to
countries or regions of the world with limited financial resources, is a
crucial step toward improving breast health care and breast cancer care in
these regions," said Anderson. "Current evidence about the value of earlier
detection and cost-effective diagnosis and treatment can be applied to
define best practices with limited resources for breast health care. While
health care strategies may differ, measurable improvement in breast cancer
outcomes can be achieved using the best standard of care that is practical
in a given setting."
Why breast cancer and why low- to middle-income countries? Breast
cancer comprises 23% of all female cancers. It's also the leading cause of
cancer mortality. There is a marked geographical variation in case fatality
rates, which are highest in developing countries and lowest in developed
ones. Further, women in poor- and middle-income nations generally are
diagnosed when their cancer has progressed due to lack of resources to
detect cancer earlier, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality.
BHGI recently launched a five-year plan to achieve guideline
implementation. It focuses on three key areas: dissemination &
implementation (D&I) research; education and training programs; and
technology application and development. The foundation of the plan will be
creation of "learning laboratories" -- in-country locations in which to
test programs that will form the basis for breast health program expansion
in low-to-middle-income countries. BHGI is working with partner
organizations -- Komen for the Cure, HopeXchange, and the Ghana Breast
Cancer Alliance -- to open the first learning laboratory in Kumasi, Ghana
this year, with a second learning laboratory planned for South America in
2009.
About the Breast Health Guidelines Initiative
BHGI is comprised of an alliance of the following healthcare
organization: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Susan G. Komen for
the Cure, American Society of Clinical Oncology, U.S. Office of
International Affairs, National Cancer Institute, Pfizer Inc, American
Cancer Society, Lance Armstrong Foundation, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers
Squibb, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., GE Healthcare, Novartis Oncology, F.
Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Oncology Nursing Society, Pan American Health
Organization, U.S. Office on Women's Health, NCI, U.S. Office of Research
on Women's Health, NIH, American Society for Breast Disease, U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Breast
Surgery International, International Union Against Cancer, International
Atomic Energy Agency of the United Nations, International Network for
Cancer Treatment and Research, International Society of Nurses in Cancer
Care, International Society of Breast Pathology, Middle East Cancer
Consortium, World Society for Breast Health.
The Breast Health Global Initiative is co-sponsored by the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) and Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
http://www.bhgi.info
Contact: Leslie Sullivan, Senior Program Manager, BHGI
206-667-2545 or lsulliva@fhcrc.org
Dean Forbes, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center,
206-667-2896; or dforbes@fhcrc.org
SOURCE Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Breast Health
Global
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Related links:
http://www.bhgi.info
http://www.fhcrc.org
CONTACT:
Leslie Sullivan, Senior Program Manager of
BHGI, +1-206-667-2545, lsulliva@fhcrc.org; or Dean Forbes of Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, +1-206-667-2896;
dforbes@fhcrc.org
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