Which path are German tumor centers taking?

摘要

abstract_textpIn the past two decades tumor diseases have been increasingly managed by multidisciplinary cooperation. At present three procedures are offered in Germany that put into practice multidisciplinary, guideline-adherent approaches to diagnostics and treatment based on a catalog of requirements within the framework of establishing a center and issue certification by a professional society after appraisal. The procedures of the German Cancer Society, German Cancer Aid, and the German Society for Hematology and Oncology are presented in detail and assessed. In addition, regionally limited procedures for setting up centers in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Wurttemberg are taken into consideration. All procedures emphasize aspects of structure quality; there are few requirements regarding process quality or outcome quality. Although all procedures stipulate that data be documented, nationwide tumor registries are lacking in Germany which could substantiate the supposed improvement of outcome quality as a result of establishing tumor centers. Nonetheless, further development of multidisciplinary centers in Germany with an increase in the number of tumor patients treated there is to be expected in future./p/abstract_text