Annelotte van Bommel

82 RESULTS Study population Seventy-two hospitals (78.3%) responded to the survey leading to inclusion of 16,471 patients with a mastectomy for DCIS (n=1,980) and invasive breast cancer (n=14,491) ( Table 1 ). Almost 90% of the responding hospitals were categorized as a district or teaching hospital and most (85%) of the hospitals had 0–300 diagnosis annually. In most hospitals, one MDT meeting per week was organized and one hospital reported to have a daily MDT meeting ( Table 1 ). All disciplines related to breast cancer care (e.g., surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, nurse practitioners) structurally attended the MDT meetings. In 71% of the hospitals a plastic surgeon was structurally attending the MDT meeting. In most hospitals the geneticist, psychologist and palliative care expert were incidentally present. Eighty percent of the hospitals reported to offer plastic surgical care for breast cancer patients. In 83% of the responding hospitals, 0.5–2.5 plastic surgeons per 100 new diagnoses of breast cancer were available. For breast surgeons, most hospitals (49%) reported to have 1.5–2.5 breast surgeons per 100 new diagnoses of breast cancer ( Table 1 ). Table 1. Hospital characteristics of the 72 responding hospitals in the Netherlands. Dutch hospitals (n=72) Number of patients Number % DCIS Invasive breast cancer Response Non-responding hospitals 20 21.7 Responding hospitals 72 78.3 1,980 14,491 Hospital type District hospital 27 37.5 499 4,044 Teaching hospital 37 51.4 1.106 8,624 University hospital 7 9.7 243 1,299 Cancer specific hospital 1 1.4 132 524 Volume (# diagnosis annually) Group 1 (1/150) 24 33.3 420 2,92 Group 2 (150/300) 37 51.4 1.109 8,023 Group 3 (>300) ub=436 11 15.3 451 3,548