Quality standards of breast cancer services differ across Europe: survey

A survey on the use of ISO standards in breast cancer care services in Europe found that in 76 percent of the countries examined, at least one health care organization is accredited, according to the press release of the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC) on Monday.

The findings reflect the need to consider what is already in place when developing a European quality assurance scheme for breast cancer services aimed at improving quality of care.

The JRC's survey on the use of ISO standards in breast cancer care looked at 25 -- out of the 35 contacted -- countries that participated in the survey via their national accreditation bodies.

The survey also shows that ISO standards are most widely used in breast cancer diagnosis and screening.

Breast cancer is the biggest cause of death by cancer among women in Europe. Most European countries acknowledge the importance of quality in breast cancer services, but use different standards to cover the various stages of care.

The results of the study reflect the heterogeneity of certification and accreditation tools applied by breast cancer care services. Endit