THE SLOANE PROJECT

A UK prospective audit of screen-detected non-invasive carcinomas and a typical hyperplasias of the breast

The Sloane Project is a national prospective audit of screen detected non-invasive carcinomas and atypical hyperplasias of the breast that began in April 2003. The project is a National Health Service Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) audit. It is being administered through the West Midlands Cancer Intelligence Unit (WMCIU) in collaboration with the Association of Breast Surgery (ABS) and has received funding from Pfizer Oncology through an unrestricted educational grant. 

The main aim of the Sloane Project is to gain a greater understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and clinical outcomes of screen detected breast carcinoma in situ and atypical hyperplasia to enable patients and health care professionals to make more informed choices regarding treatment options in the future. 

The Sloane Project is multi-disciplinary, with data being collected over five years using specifically designed forms in the areas of radiology, surgical treatment, pathology and radiotherapy, which will provide full and detailed information about the patient's journey from diagnosis to treatment. All cases will be followed up and the incidence of local recurrence, contra-lateral breast cancer and metastases, together with death data, will be determined. 

Participation is invited from all 98 UK Breast Screening Units. Communication and a team-based approach are essential components to the success of the audit in each unit. A "Sloane contact" needs to be identified to lead in co-ordinating the project in their unit and to ensure complete and accurate data collection. 

Careful prospective collection of the data collected by the Sloane Project will enable the correlation of clinical outcomes with the treatment received. This will ultimately give us a better understanding of non-invasive breast disease, its prognostic indicators and its optimal treatment. 

For further information, please visit the Sloane Project website - www.sloaneproject.co.uk or contact Karen Clements, Sloane Project Officer on 0121 415 8190 or at karen.clements@wmciu.nhs.uk. 

To view the February 2012 Sloane Project newsletter please click here