Term and Role of Tumor Centres in Oncology Healthcare in Germany

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease among women in Germany. There are more than 50,000 new cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year in the country. As breast cancer is a complex disease it necessitates an interdisciplinary treatment, therefore it is very likely that patients with breast cancer will benefit from treatment in special centers, either a "breast cancer centre" or "tumor centre". In recent years certifying programs for the above mentioned centers have been introduced, which guarantee standards of the quality of treatment for breast cancer all over the country. In this article we report on the development and role of tumor centers in oncology healthcare in Germany, which nowadays have a very good international reputation. Moreover, they may be a good example to other countries to found similar centers in order to improve standards of the management in oncology healthcare.