Minimally invasive vs. open segmental resection of the splenic flexure for cancer: a nationwide study of the Italian Society of Surgical Oncology-Colorectal Cancer Network (SICO-CNN).

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the efficacy of minimally invasive (MI) segmental resection of splenic flexure cancer (SFC) is not available, mostly due to the rarity of this tumor. This study aimed to determine the survival outcomes of MI and open treatment, and to investigate whether MI is noninferior to open procedure regarding short-term outcomes. METHODS: This nationwide retrospective cohort study included all consecutive SFC segmental resections performed in 30 referral centers between 2006 and 2016. The primary endpoint assessing efficacy was the overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints included cancer-specific mortality (CSM), recurrence rate (RR), short-term clinical outcomes (a composite of Clavien-Dindo > 2 complications and 30-day mortality), and pathological outcomes (a composite of lymph nodes removed ≧12, and proximal and distal free resection margins length ≧ 5 cm). For these composites, a 6% noninferiority margin was chosen based on clinical relevance estimate. RESULTS: A total of 606 patients underwent either an open (208, 34.3%) or a MI (398, 65.7%) SFC segmental resection. At univariable analysis, OS and CSM were improved in the MI group (log-rank test p = 0.004 and Gray's tests p = 0.004, respectively), while recurrences were comparable (Gray's tests p = 0.434). Cox multivariable analysis did not support that OS and CSM were better in the MI group (p = 0.109 and p = 0.163, respectively). Successful pathological outcome, observed in 53.2% of open and 58.3% of MI resections, supported noninferiority (difference 5.1%; 1-sided 95%CI - 4.7% to ∞). Successful short-term clinical outcome was documented in 93.3% of Open and 93.0% of MI procedures, and supported noninferiority as well (difference - 0.3%; 1-sided 95%CI - 5.0% to ∞). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with SFC, the minimally invasive approach met the criterion for noninferiority for postoperative complications and pathological outcomes, and was found to provide results of OS, CSM, and RR comparable to those of open resection.

Highly specialized Breast Centers did not experience delay of care during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy: the Senonetwork experience.

AIM OF THE STUDY: The study aims to evaluate the performance of selected, high-volume, highly specialized, Italian Breast Centers at the time of COVID-19 pandemic (year 2020), compared to pre-pandemic time (year 2019), highlighting differences in terms of clinical presentation of breast cancer (BC) and therapeutic strategies. METHODS: Patients' data were provided by the Senonetwork data warehouse Senonet. In order to examine changes in the surgical and oncological management of BC patients during different phases of COVID-19 pandemic, we took advantage of a selection quality indicators (QIs). We performed the analyses in two time-frames, from July to September (Jul-Sep) (2019 versus 2020) and from October to December (Oct-Dec) (2019 versus 2020). RESULTS: Our analysis did not show any statistically significant difference in terms of diagnosis, surgical, oncological and radiation therapy procedures between the two trimesters 2019 and 2020. Nevertheless, we observed statistically significant differences, favoring 2020, when analyzing time-to surgery and time-to radiotherapy. On the other hand, we observed a significant reduction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and we did not recollect any data on a major use of neoadjuvant endocrine therapy. CONCLUSIONS: In Italian Breast Centers, partners of Senonetwork, we could not observe any treatment delay or change in standard clinical practice for BC care during the 2020 pandemic year, compared to 2019 pre-pandemic year. This finding is in contrast with the globally reported decrease in the performance of the Italian Breast Centers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and has to be linked to the sharp selection of Senonetwork Breast Centers.

Risk factors for anastomotic leakage after anterior resection for rectal cancer (RALAR study): A nationwide retrospective study of the Italian Society of Surgical Oncology Colorectal Cancer Network Collaborative Group.

AIM: Anastomotic leakage after restorative surgery for rectal cancer shows high morbidity and related mortality. Identification of risk factors could change operative planning, with indications for stoma construction. This retrospective multicentre study aims to assess the anastomotic leak rate, identify the independent risk factors and develop a clinical prediction model to calculate the probability of leakage. METHODS: The study used data from 24 Italian referral centres of the Colorectal Cancer Network of the Italian Society of Surgical Oncology. Patients were classified into two groups, AL (anastomotic leak) or NoAL (no anastomotic leak). The effect of patient-, disease-, treatment- and postoperative outcome-related factors on anastomotic leak after univariable and multivariable analysis was measured. RESULTS: A total of 5398 patients were included, 552 in group AL and 4846 in group NoAL. The overall incidence of leaks was 10.2%, with a mean time interval of 6.8 days. The 30-day leak-related mortality was 2.6%. Sex, body mass index, tumour location, type of approach, number of cartridges employed, weight loss, clinical T stage and combined multiorgan resection were identified as independent risk factors. The stoma did not reduce the leak rate but significantly decreased leak severity and reoperation rate. A nomogram with a risk score (RALAR score) was developed to predict anastomotic leak risk at the end of resection. CONCLUSIONS: While a defunctioning stoma did not affect the leak risk, it significantly reduced its severity. Surgeons should recognize independent risk factors for leaks at the end of rectal resection and could calculate a risk score to select high-risk patients eligible for protective stoma construction.

Performance indicators in breast cancer screening in the European Union: A comparison across countries of screen positivity and detection rates.

Comparable performance indicators for breast cancer screening in the European Union (EU) have not been previously reported. We estimated adjusted breast cancer screening positivity rate (PR) and detection rates (DR) to investigate variation across EU countries. For the age 50-69 years, the adjusted EU-pooled PR for initial screening was 8.9% (cross-programme variation range 3.2-19.5%) while DR of invasive cancers was 5.3/1,000 (range 3.8-7.4/1,000) and DR of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was 1.3/1,000 (range 0.7-2.7/1,000). For subsequent screening, the adjusted EU-pooled PR was 3.6% (range 1.4-8.4%), the DR was 4.0/1,000 (range 2.2-5.8/1,000) and 0.8/1,000 (range 0.5-1.3/1,000) for invasive and DCIS, respectively. Adjusted performance indicators showed remarkable heterogeneity, likely due to different background breast cancer risk and awareness between target populations, and also different screening protocols and organisation. Periodic reporting of the screening indicators permits comparison and evaluation of the screening activities between and within countries aiming to improve the quality and the outcomes of screening programmes. Cancer Screening Registries would be a milestone in this direction and EU Screening Reports provide a fundamental contribution to building them.

Key issues that need to be considered while revising the current annex of the European Council Recommendation (2003) on cancer screening.

The 2003 European Council recommendation urging the Member States to introduce or scale up breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening through an organized population-based approach has had a remarkable impact. We argue that the recommendation needs to be updated for at least two sets of reasons. First, some of the current clinical guidelines include new tests or protocols that were not available at the time of the Council document. Some have already been adopted by organized screening programs, such as newly defined age ranges for mammography screening, Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-based cervical cancer screening, fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and sigmoidoscopy for colorectal cancer screening. Second, the outcomes of randomized trials evaluating screening for lung and prostate cancer have been published recently and the balance between harms and benefits needs to be pragmatically assessed. In the European Union, research collaboration and networking to exchange and develop best practices should be regularly supported by the European Commission. Integration between primary and secondary preventive strategies through comprehensive approaches is necessary not only to maximize the reduction in cancer burden but also to control the rising trend of other noncommunicable diseases sharing the same risk factors.

Performance of colorectal cancer screening in the European Union Member States: data from the second European screening report.

OBJECTIVE: To present comparative data about the performance of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening programmes in the European Union Member States (EU MSs). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. We analysed key performance indicators-participation rate, positivity rate (PR), detection rate (DR) and positive predictive value for adenomas and CRC-based on the aggregated quantitative data collected for the second EU screening report. We derived crude and pooled (through a random effects model) estimates to describe and compare trends across different MSs/regions and screening protocols. RESULTS: Participation rate was higher in countries adopting faecal immunochemical test (FIT) (range: 22.8%-71.3%) than in those using guaiac faecal occult blood test (gFOBT) (range 4.5%-66.6%), and it showed a positive correlation (ρ=0.842, p<0.001) with participation in breast cancer screening in the same areas. Screening performance showed a large variability. Compliance with referral for colonoscopy (total colonoscopy (TC)) assessment ranged between 64% and 92%; TC completion rate ranged between 92% and 99%. PR and DR of advanced adenomas and CRC were higher in FIT, as compared with gFOBT programmes, and independent of the protocol among men, older subjects and those performing their first screening. CONCLUSIONS: The variability in the results of quality indicators across population-based screening programmes highlights the importance of continuous monitoring, as well as the need to promote quality improvement efforts, as recommended in the EU guidelines. The implementation of monitoring systems, ensuring availability of data for the entire process, together with initiatives aimed to enhance reproducibility of histology and quality of endoscopy, represent a priority in screening programmes management.

Low-grade screen-detected ductal carcinoma in situ progresses more slowly than high-grade lesions: evidence from an international multi-centre study.

PURPOSE: Nuclear grade is an important indicator of the biological behaviour of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). De-escalation of treatment has been suggested for low-grade DCIS. Our aim is to estimate the relative rate of progression of DCIS by nuclear grade by analysing the distribution of nuclear grade by detection at initial or subsequent screening. METHODS: We asked International Cancer Screening Network sites to complete, based on their screening and clinical databases, an aggregated data file on DCIS detection, diagnosis and treatment. RESULTS: Eleven screening programs reported 5068 screen-detected pure DCIS in nearly 7 million screening tests in women 50-69 years of age. For all programs combined, low-grade DCIS were 20.1% (range 11.4-31.8%) of graded DCIS, intermediate grade 31.0% and high grade 48.9%. Detection rates decreased more steeply from initial to subsequent screening in low compared to high-grade DCIS: the ratios of subsequent to initial detection rates were 0.39 for low grade, 0.51 for intermediate grade, and 0.75 for high grade (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the duration of the preclinical detectable phase is longer for low than for high-grade DCIS. The findings from this large multi-centre, international study emphasize that the management of low-grade DCIS should be carefully scrutinized in order to minimize overtreatment of screen-detected slow-growing or indolent lesions. The high variation by site in the proportion of low grade suggests that further pathology standardization and training would be beneficial.

Status of implementation and organization of cancer screening in The European Union Member States-Summary results from the second European screening report.

The second report on the implementation status of cancer screening in European Union (EU) was published in 2017. The report described the implementation status, protocols and organization (updated till 2016) and invitation coverage (for index year 2013) of breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening in the EU. Experts in screening programme monitoring (N = 80) from the EU Member States having access to requisite information in their respective countries provided data on breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening through online questionnaires. Data was collected for screening performed in the framework of publicly mandated programmes only. Filled in questionnaires were received from 26 Member States for all three sites and from one Member State for breast cancer only. Substantial improvement in screening implementation using population-based approach was documented. Among the age-eligible women, 94.7% were residents of Member States implementing or planning population-based breast cancer screening in 2016, compared to 91.6% in 2007. The corresponding figures for cervical cancer screening were 72.3 and 51.3% in 2016 and 2007, respectively. Most significant improvement was documented for colorectal cancer screening with roll-out ongoing or completed in 17 Member States in 2016, compared to only five in 2007. So the access to population-based screening increased to 72.4% of the age-eligible populations in 2016 as opposed to only 42.6% in 2007. The invitation coverage was highly variable, ranging from 0.2-111% for breast cancer, 7.6-105% for cervical cancer and 1.8-127% for colorectal cancer in the target populations. In spite of the considerable progress, much work remains to be done to achieve optimal effectiveness. Continued monitoring, regular feedbacks and periodic reporting are needed to ensure the desired impacts of the programmes.

[Introduction of a centralised system (Service) for collecting clinical data in cancer screening programmes in Piedmont (Northern Italy): a pre-post assessment of a hub&spoke model]. / L'introduzione di un sistema centralizzato (Service) per la raccolta dei dati clinici negli screening oncologici in Piemonte: valutazione pre-post di un modello hub&spoke.

OBJECTIVES: evaluation of a centralised collection of clinical data (Service) within cancer screening programmes in Piedmont based on a hub&spoke model and its impact on process indicators. DESIGN: assessment of an organisational intervention, through a non-controlled pre-post design. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: organised screening programmes within the Piedmont Region, divided into 9 departments. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: clinical data (extracted from medical charts for mammography screening and from excision histology reports for cervical screening) obtained through the Service were quantified and their completeness was assessed. The Service impact on the detection rate (DR) was evaluated, comparing the DR pre- (2005-2008) and post-Service (2009- 2012) within breast screening; the DR was computed through histological diagnosis made during colposcopy (pre-Service method) or through the worst diagnosis between the latter and that reported from excision histology (post-Service method) within cervical screening (data available for department 1, year 2013). Some hints on human resources employed in pre- and post-Service periods were reported. RESULTS: within mammography screening, the Service obtained 53.1% of extra-department medical charts and 45.8% of extra-region ones; the percentage of missing diagnoses changed from 5.5% (pre- Service) to 3.7% (post-Service). The age standardised DR for malignant tumours in the post-Service period is 1.3 times the DR of the pre-Service period per 1,000 screening tests. Within cervical screening, 51.7% of histological reports was recorded. Crude DR for high-grade lesions changed from 3.9 (pre-Service) to 4.7 (post-Service) per 1,000 screened women. The system centralisation did not imply an increase in the dedicated personnel. CONCLUSION: the Service is an operational core which coordinates the collection of clinical data, impacting on process indicators without an increase in human resources at departmental level.

Audit system on Quality of breast cancer diagnosis and Treatment (QT): results of quality indicators on screen-detected lesions in Italy, 2011-2012.

This annual survey, conducted by the Italian group for mammography screening (GISMa), collects individual data on diagnosis and treatment of about 50% of screen-detected, operated lesions in Italy. The 2011-2012 results show good overall quality and an improving trend over time. A number of critical issues have been identified, including waiting times (which have had a worsening trend over the years) and compliance with the recommendation of not performing frozen section examination on small lesions. Pre-operative diagnosis improved constantly over time, but there is still a large variation between Regions and programmes. For almost 90% of screen-detected invasive cancers a sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy was performed on the axilla, avoiding a large number of potentially harmful dissections. On the other hand, potential overuse of SLN dissection for ductal carcinoma in situ, although apparently starting to decline, deserves further investigation. The detailed results have been distributed, among other ways by means of a web-based data-warehouse, to regional and local screening programmes, in order to allow multidisciplinary discussion and identification of the appropriate solutions to any issues documented by the data. The problem of waiting times should be assigned priority. Specialist Breast Units with adequate case volume and enough resources would provide the best setting for making monitoring effective in producing quality improvements with shorter waiting times.

Treatment and outcomes in breast cancer patients: A cross section study from the EUSOMA breast centre network.

INTRODUCTION: The present study was designed to describe tumour features and treatments for patients with breast cancer. It also aimed at assessing the risk of distant metastases in relation to biological profiles, disease stages and treatment. METHODS: Data were analysed from 81,882 patients in the EUSOMA database (disease stages at diagnosis 0-IV; median age 61 years; range 20-100 years). All patients were treated between January 2016 and December 2021 in 53 Breast Centres within the EUSOMA certification process in 13 European countries. Cases were classified as HR+ /HER2-, HR+ /HER2 + , HR-/HER2 + or HR-/HER2- and data were analysed accordingly. RESULTS: Univariable and multivariable analyses for distant metastases were conducted on a subset of 38,119 cases with information on whether or not they had developed them. Potential determinants included sub-group type, Ki67 value, disease stage, adjuvant systemic therapies and post-operative radiation therapy. In multivariable analysis, the HR-/HER2 + and HR-/HER2- sub-groups were associated with a higher risk of distant metastases than HR+ /HER2-. Ki67 > 20 % and advanced stage disease also carried a high risk. Radiation therapy emerged as a protective factor against distant metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Present results show a large patient database offers an information stream that can be applied to reduce uncertainties in clinical practice. Database parameters need to be updated dynamically for outcome monitoring. Molecular prognostic factors, gene-expression signatures, tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes and circulating tumoral DNA should be added.

Fluctuating mastectomy rates across time and geography.

In 2009, 2 single-institution studies from the United States reported increasing mastectomy rates during the last decade. We have recently reported unilateral mastectomy trends from a European database and demonstrated a significant trend of decreasing mastectomy rates from 38.1 % in 2005 to 13.1 % in 2010. A recent study from the SEER registry in the United States confirmed a previously reported decrease in mastectomy rates from 40.1 % in year 2000 to 35.6 % in 2005, but showed a statistically significant increase in mastectomy rates up to 38.4 % in 2008. This report provides evidence that mastectomy trends may be in opposite directions in different geographical areas. The sharpest increase in mastectomy rates across all ages in the recent SEER study occurs right after year 2005, which interestingly corresponds with the time of publication of the meta-analysis by the EBCTCG that highlighted the importance of local control in breast cancer. The coincident timing raises the question of whether this evidence may have indirectly triggered an increase in mastectomy rates in the United States that would partially explain the observed trend, and more importantly, of whether an increase would be justified on this basis. Multiple factors influence the proportion between mastectomy and breast conservation, so it may be unreasonable to think of an optimal cutoff. There is not necessarily a right or wrong direction for mastectomy trends, but aiming to determine explanations for these differences may help provide a clearer insight of the decision-making process involved in the surgical management of breast cancer.

Compliance with clinical practice guidelines for breast cancer treatment: a population-based study of quality-of-care indicators in Italy.

BACKGROUND: It has been documented that variations exist in breast cancer treatment despite wide dissemination of clinical practice guidelines. The aim of this population-based study was to evaluate the impact of regional guidelines (Piedmont guidelines, PGL) for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment on quality-of-care indicators in the Northwestern Italian region of Piedmont. METHODS: We included two samples of women aged 50-69 years with incident breast cancer treated in Piedmont before and after the introduction of PGL: 600 in 2002 (pre-PGL) and 621 in 2004 (post-PGL). Patients were randomly selected among all incident breast cancer cases identified through the hospital discharge records database. We extracted clinical data on breast cancer cases from medical charts and ascertained vital status through linkage with town offices. We assessed compliance with 14 quality-of-care indicators from PGL recommendations, before and after their introduction in clinical practice. RESULTS: Among patients with invasive lesions, 77.1% (N = 368) and 77.5% (N = 383) in the pre-PGL and post-PGL groups, respectively, received breast conservative surgery (BCS) as a first-line treatment. Following BCS, 87.7% received radiotherapy in 2002, compared to 87.9% in 2004. Of all patients at medium-to-high risk of distant metastasis, 65.5% (N = 268) and 63.6% (N = 252) received chemotherapy in 2002 and in 2004, respectively. Among the 117 patients with invasive lesions and negative estrogen receptor status in 2002, hormonal therapy was prescribed in 23 of them (19.6%). The incorrect prescription of hormonal therapy decreased to 10.8% (N = 10) among the 92 estrogen receptor-negative patients in 2004 (p < 0.01).Compliance with PGL recommendations was already high in the pre-PGL group, although some quality-of-care indicators did not reach the standard. In the pre/post analysis, 8 out of 14 quality-of-care indicators showed an improvement from 2002 to 2004, but only 4 out of 14 reached statistical significance. We did not find any change in the risk of mortality in the post-PGL versus the pre-PGL group (adjusted hazard ratio 0.94, 95%CI 0.56-1.56). CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the need to continue to improve breast cancer care and to measure adherence to PGL.

Holy Shroud Exhibition 2010: health services during a 40-day mass-gathering event.

INTRODUCTION: Mass-gathering events require varying types and amounts of medical resources to deal with patient presentations as well as careful planning for environmental health management. The Holy Shroud Exhibition was hosted in Torino, Italy, between April and May 2010. The venue was a unique mass-gathering event which lasted several weeks. It was held in a limited area in the center of the city and it was attended by a large and heterogeneous population. A dedicated Health Care Service was created for the event. METHODS: This study is a retrospective analysis of clinical presentations of patients who were managed by the Medical Services during the event. The main study outcomes included Patient Presentation Rate (PPR), type of injuries and illnesses, and the Transport to Hospital Rate (TTHR). RESULTS: The PPR and TTHR were both low (0.27 and 0.039 respectively). The majority of patients presented with low severity codes and no sudden cardiac death (SCD) or cardiac arrest occurred. Cardiac and trauma emergencies were most frequent categories of presentation. A number of pediatric patients (19.37%) were treated by the event Medical Service. Approximately two million persons participated in the 40-day event. CONCLUSION: The experience for this 40-day event supported having an on-site, organized, dedicated Medical Service that decreased overcrowding of the local Emergency Medical System and hospitals. It is recommended that, for such events, there be recruitment of emergency physicians with experience in mass-gathering events, recruitment of pediatricians, and training for professionals during the planning process.

Trends and variation in treatment of early breast cancer in European certified breast centres: an EUSOMA-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Practice indicators (PI) measure provided care making use of real-world data. This study describes trends and variations in adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer (EBC) using the European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists (EUSOMA) database. METHODS: The analysis was conducted on anonymous cumulative data registered by 56 certified breast centres, which all entered at least 500 new diagnoses in the database in the 10-year period 2010-2019. Practice trends of radiotherapy, endocrine treatment, chemotherapy, and anti-HER2 therapy were evaluated. The association with age group (<50, 50-69, ≥70) and geographical area of the centre (Northern, Central, Southern Europe; NE, CE, SE) was assessed with the Pearson Chi2 test for independence in contingency tables. RESULTS: In total, 150,150 patients with EBC were selected. Overall, radiotherapy was administered more frequently in NE centres, and conversely, endocrine, chemo-, and anti-HER2 therapy were used more frequently in SE centres (p<0.001). 46.9% of the pN1 patients received postmastectomy radiotherapy, with significant differences by age and geographical region (p < 0.001). Adjuvant endocrine treatment for endocrine-sensitive carcinoma in situ was administered in 46.1%, with a decreasing trend during the study period (58.5-34.5%; p < 0.001). Anti-HER2 therapy was delivered in 75.6% of all patients with HER2BC T1a/bN0, patients older than 70 received anti-HER2 in 67.6% in SE compared to 31.3% in NE centres. CONCLUSION: Important variations in EBC management between European certified breast centres have been demonstrated. PI using real-world data can help to monitor, evaluate, and eventually guide and align good clinical practice in the management of breast cancer.

[Audit system on quality of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment: results of quality indicators on screen-detected lesions in Italy, 2010]. / Il "progetto SQTM" sulla qualità di diagnosi e terapia entro i programmi di screening in Italia: risultati 2010.

This survey, conducted by the Italian breast screening network (GISMa), collects yearly individual data on diagnosis and treatment on about 50% of all screen-detected, operated lesions in Italy. The 2010 results show good overall quality and an improving trend over time. Critical issues were identified, including waiting times and compliance with the recommendations on not performing frozen section examination on small lesions. Preoperative diagnosis improved constantly over the years, but there is still a large variation between regions and programmes. For almost 90% of screen-detected invasive cancers the sentinel lymph node technique (SLN) was performed on the axilla, avoiding a large number of potentially harmful dissections. On the other hand, potential overuse of SLN for ductal carcinoma in situ deserves further investigation. The detailed results have been distributed, also by means of a web data warehouse, to regional and local screening programmes in order to allow multidisciplinary discussion and identification of the appropriate solutions to any issues documented by the data. It should be assigned priority to the problem of waiting times. Specialist Breast Units with adequate case volume and enough resources would provide the best setting for making monitoring effective in producing quality improvements with shorter waiting times.

The impact of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic on the quality of breast cancer care in EUSOMA-certified breast centres.

AIMS: We analysed the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (COVID-19) on the quality of breast cancer care in certified EUSOMA (European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists) breast centres. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results of the EUSOMA quality indicators were compared, based on pseudonymised individual records, for the periods 1 March 2020 till 30 June 2020 (first COVID-19 peak in most countries in Europe) and 1 March 2019 till 30 June 2019. In addition, a questionnaire was sent to the participating Centres for investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organisation and the quality of breast cancer care. RESULTS: Forty-five centres provided data and 31 (67%) responded to the questionnaire. The total number of new cases dropped by 19% and there was a small significant higher tumour (p = 0.003) and lymph node (p = 0.011) stage at presentation. Comparing quality indicators (12,736 patients) by multivariable analysis showed mostly non-significant differences. Surgery could be performed in a COVID-free zone in 94% of the centres, COVID testing was performed before surgery in 96% of the centres, and surgical case load was reduced in 55% of the centres. Modifications of the indications for neoadjuvant endocrine therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy were necessary in 23%, 23%, and 10% of the centres; changes in indications for adjuvant endocrine, chemo-, targeted, immune, and radiotherapy in 3%, 19%, 3%, 6%, and 10%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Quality of breast cancer care was well maintained in EUSOMA breast centres during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A small but significantly higher tumour and lymph node stage at presentation was observed.