The American Journal of Public Health published a study that states women with early-stage breast cancer have a better survival if they undergo surgery at a hospital that performs large numbers of breast cancer surgeries.
To explore the link between hospital volume and breast cancer survival, researchers conducted a study among more than 11,000 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent surgery for Stage I or Stage II breast cancer. These surgeries were performed at 457 different hospitals in the United States.
Hospital volume of the number of breast cancer surgeries was defined as:
- low volume -- zero to nineteen cases per year
- medium volume -- twenty to thirty nine cases per year
- high volume -- forty or more cases per year
Study participants were followed for roughly five years after surgery:
- Compared to women treated at a low-volume hospital, women treated at a high-volume hospital were 17 percent less likely to die of any cause and 20 percent less likely to die of breast cancer.
- Surgery at the high-volume hospital was linked with better survival among women with lymph-node negative cancer as well as among women with lymph node positive disease.
It appears that the treatment at a hospital that performs a greater number of breast cancer surgeries appears to result in better survival among women undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
1. The Surgical Oncologist
The surgical oncologist is most often the first specialist a cancer patient sees before other oncologic specialists. Surgical oncologists are clinical scientists with knowledge of and experience in cancer surgery that come from additional training, limitation of the scope of general surgical practice, familiarity with the biology and natural history of cancers, and the role of the other oncologic specialties in their diagnosis and management.
Surgical oncologists are specially trained to treat tumors with surgical techniques, and have undergone additional specialty training in oncology. Surgical procedures for cancer are often complex and technically demanding. Studies have shown that patients have better outcomes, the lowest complications and death rates when they are treated by experienced surgical oncologists.
For decades, any surgeon was considered competent to exercise all surgical skills, including cancer surgery. Indeed, while most surgeons may be acceptably competent, the specialty of surgical oncology is increasingly important.
Membership in the Society of Surgical Oncology, postgraduate training in a cancer institute or university program under a mentor known for cancer surgical expertise, concentration of surgical practice on cancer and related diseases, and publications are some of the appropriate criteria. Surgical Oncologists are board certified by The American Board of Surgeons.
Source:
Society of Surgical Oncology
The American Board of Surgeons
Posted at 1:22AM on Mar 20th 2007 by Gregory D. Pawelski