Updating of interdisciplinary S3 guideline for diagnosis, treatment and aftercare of breast cancer

Update of the Interdisciplinary S3 Guideline for the Diagnostic, Treatment and Follow-up Care of Breast Cancer

Coordination:	Prof. Achim Wöckel
Project members:	M. Krockenberger, J. Festl, T. Stüber, S. Stangl, K. Brust
Sponsors:	Funded by the German Guideline Program in Oncology (GGPO) of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF), German Cancer Society (DKG) and the German Cancer Aid (DKH)
Status:	completed

Carcinoma of the breast is the most common cancer of women in Germany. Each year 70.000 women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer and about 17.000 die from the disease in Germany. Due to this epidemiological relevance as well as due to new research findings an update of the current S3 guideline (version 2012) was determined necessary.
The German Guideline for the Diagnostic, Treatment and Follow-up Care of Breast Cancer is classified as an S3 guideline. This means, according to the definition of the AWMF, that the following criteria need to be fulfilled: representative expert panel, systematic literature search, selection and appraisal of the identified literature as well as a formal consensus.
About 80% of the statements are updated by a 1:1 adaption of current guidelines. Eligible guidelines were identified through a systematic search and the methodological quality appraised with the known AGREE-II instrument and if necessary a literature search and appraisal of the evidence according to the AWMF guidelines. For the other 20% a systematic literature search is carried out on the base of framed PICO (Patient, Intervention, Compare, Outcome) questions. The selection of the identified literature is carried out by two independent raters. In a next step the literature is appraised and evidence tables are constructed and provided to the working groups. The recommendation and statements made are then consented by an expert panel using the DELPHI method.