Caen, 22nd April 2020. On the 20th of April, the European Society of Breast Cancer Specialists – EUSOMA – awarded the INS – Normandy Breast Institute, located within the François Baclesse Cancer Centre, its European certification label.
The first French centre to obtain EUSOMA certification
This certification is the most demanding recognition at European level of quality breast cancer care. It requires, not only all the mandatory diagnosis and treatment techniques, but also a database enabling the collection and prospective assessment of the necessary indicators to monitor the quality of breast cancer care.
Every year, the Normandy Breast Institute, established within the François Baclesse Cancer Centre, treats over 1,000 new patients presenting with breast cancer, from across the region, and provides them with long-term follow-up. This experience, associated with the will to deliver top-quality and comprehensive care (via all available medico-surgical techniques, but also supportive care), has offered the INS the privilege of becoming the 1st French centre (and, to date, the only one) to obtain this certification.
Consult the list: https://www.breastcentrescertification.com/breastcentrescert.php
L’Institut Normand du Sein – The Normandy Breast Institute
The INS reunites and federates all the François Baclesse Cancer Centre’s teams and departments specialising in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment:
- Medical imaging platform (mammograph, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, PET) ensuring access to all screening, diagnosis and interventional radiology procedures;
- Surgical platform for all carcinological and reconstructive surgery procedures;
- Day hospital with 40 beds for administration of chemotherapy and targeted therapies;
- Radiotherapy department boasting the latest in radiotherapy machines, in particular an interoperative radiotherapy system specifically reserved for breast cancer
- Medical oncology team devoted to breast cancer;
- Nursing team devoted to monitoring the care path of patients undergoing treatment;
- Structured oral therapy prescription during three-party consultations (oncologist, pharmacist, care path nurse);
- BioPathology department, associating the Pathology department for diagnosos, the Oncogenetic department and the Biology and Cancer genetics laboratory for follow-up of family cases;
- Supportive care platform offering a whole range of care options (pain, nutrition, psychological support, social welfare support, socio-aesthetics, auriculotherapy, sophrology, relaxation, onco-sexuality, functional rehabilitation and lymphology, adapted physical activity, onco-geriatry, etc.);
- Clinical research department offering access to therapeutic innovation within the framework of national and international clinical trials. The onco-senology department is actively involved in the Unicancer (network of CLCC cancer centres) ‘breast’ group.
The EUSOMA label within the context of the COVID-19 epidemic
Obtaining such a label highlights the importance of abiding by a certain number of quality criteria, in particular waiting times which can result in loss of chance, particularly in oncology.
The COVID-19 epidemic must not result in:
- delayed diagnosis for patients presenting with symptomes likely to be associated with early stage cancer;
- delayed therapy for those who have already initiated their care path.
The entire network of healthcare professionals (private surgeries, clinics, hospitals and cancer centres) is mobilised and organised in order to reduce as far as possible the risk of COVID-19 contamination for patients, accompanying persons and staff, whilst ensuring continued care, with progressive resumption of consultations.
Press contact: Sophie TAILLARD, communication executive – [email protected]
About the François Baclesse Cancer Centre
The François Baclesse Cancer Centre is one of 18 French cancer centres. A private health institute of public interest (ESPIC) and member of Unicancer, activity at the François Baclesse Cancer Centre focuses entirely on cancer diagnosis and treatment. The centre also assures a mission of cancer research and education. The François Baclesse Cancer Centre cares for around 27,300 patients per year, among whom 7,345 new patients. It employs a staff of 1,000 professionals, including 137 physicians and researchers and hosts around 600 medical and paramedical students every year. The Centre boasts a Radiotherapy department which is among the 3 most comprehensive of its kind in France and, since July 2018, proposes protontherapy, together with the largest offer of supportive care options in France.
As a stakeholder in public hospital services, the François Baclesse Cancer Centre applies neither private sector fees nor fee enhancement, but exclusivley standard social security fees. A public interest establishment, it may receive donations and legacies, totally exempt from taxation.
About Unicancer
Unicancer is the unique French hospital network 100% devoted to fighting cancer and is the only national hospital federation devoted to cancer care. It reunites 18 Cancer Centres (CLCCs), private non-profit healthcare establishments, located on 20 hospital sites across France. CLCCs care for around 540,000 patients every year (short stay, home-based care or external procedures).
Unicancer is also the leading European academic promoter of clinical trials in oncology, with 90 ongoing clinical trials promoted, including around 6,500 patients + 55,000 patients listed in the ESME database. Acknowledged as the French leader in research, the Unicancer network boasts an international reputation via the production of a third of international-scale French publications in oncology (source: Thomson Reuters / bibliometric study). A total of around 600 clinical trials (inclusions or follow-up) were promoted in 2018 by the Unicancer network, over 15% of CLCC patients are included in clinical trials and over half of PHRCs (hospital clinical research programmes) allocated to CLCCs.
Unicancer’s 18 CLCCs and R&D management department are certified ISO:2015 for their clinical research.