Andre Ilbawi, MD, of the World Health Organization, discusses the results of a systematic evaluation of breast cancer treatment guidelines from 49 countries, carried out to better understand how these standards are developed and influenced. The key findings from this review were that there are significant variations in how breast cancer guidelines are developed, which has led to treatment standards that are not context appropriate, particularly for low- or middle-income countries. Dr Ilbawi describes important factors that should be considered when developing treatment guidelines, to ensure that the specific needs of each country are met and that the highest quality breast cancer care is provided to every patient. This review demonstrates that further research is warranted on how breast cancer treatment standards should be formulated. This interview took place during the 17th St. Gallen International Breast Cancer Conference.
